Kristin White del Rosso, Pea Organizing Services, Inc.

The Cost of Clutter
Kristin White del Rosso

Unopened mail, old clothes, unwanted gifts: Unless you stay on top of it, clutter will eventually take over. Even if you have lots of “great stuff,” once you have too many things, it’s hard to notice or enjoy them. Not to mention the many ways that excess can get in the way of living a simple and satisfying life. Have you ever considered what clutter is costing you?

Cost One: Money
Is your house larger than it needs to be or do you have to rent storage space to hold all your items? How often have you purchased items and then found you already have them at home? What about making lots of impulse purchases? People often regret purchases after they realize they didn’t really need or use the items. In the end you are simply spending money to clutter your home, which also means spending more time and energy to dispose of or clean and care for those items.

Next time you start to buy something on impulse, walk away. Give it a few days thought before buying it. Do you do most of your buying online or watching the Home Shopping Network? Keep a notebook handy to write down the items you may want and wait a week to order them. At least half the time, after a week, you will no longer feel the “need” to buy these items, saving you lots of money and keeping your home from becoming quickly cluttered. You may even be able to downsize your space and save money currently being spent on a higher mortgage or renting a larger home.

Cost Two: Time
Do you waste a lot of time looking for items or papers you need on a daily basis? The more cluttered your space, the harder it is to see things, even if they are right in front of you. Or if you know where something is, do you have to keep rearranging a dozen other items to get to it? If so, then that means it also cannot be put away when you are done with it. By getting rid of the items that are not being used, you can easily find and put away the items you do need.

Also remember that every item you bring into your home will require time to put away, clean, maintain, and eventually get rid of it. If you find yourself complaining how long it takes to clean your home, simplifying your surroundings will certainly reduce that time. Surfaces that are clear are easily and quickly wiped clean. Surfaces with lots of clutter atop them have to be cleared off first and each item dusted as well.

Cost Three: Satisfaction
If you have items in your home or office that you do not like and are not useful, let them go. Your happiness and satisfaction depends on it. There truly is something liberating when you take actions to get your space back. Enjoy your clear space. Take time to find something you truly enjoy to put into your newly created space.

If you are keeping items that remind you of unhappy items or circumstances, letting those go will add to your happiness as well.

Cost Four: Self-Respect
Are you ashamed to have people in your home or office? Imagine having the ability to ask people to drop by at a moment’s notice or not having to run around to tidy up when you child says his friends are coming by. Feeling embarrassed by your home is an unfortunate way to live your life. Eliminate the clutter and enjoy having friends and family back in your home and life.

You can have more money, more time, more satisfaction in your life and more self respect. Start by reducing the amount of stuff in your home. Donate it to those in need. Keep only what adds to the function and happiness of your home. With every item you let go, enjoy the freedom and the increase in clarity and purpose it brings.