Clutter is a big issue for many people including myself and family. I have a problem letting go of things I can see a future use for. Like other clutter bugs I don't every use those items- they just take up space. In the past seven years we have moved six times and every time we have thinned our belongings and spent months after the move living out of boxes. This is one of the major reasons I think I am a clutter bug. I want to know where things are and not have to dig through boxes for them. My answer for this was to replace the items I need most. Yeah, a waste of money and time.
I have taken time to go through our belongings many a time to get rid of duplicates and things we will never use. Every move I make 10+ trips to the Goodwill to donate useable items that do not need to be in a landfill. I have also spent the month before a move selling other items on Ebay or Craigslist. I have even gotten to the point during a move that I just start throwing things out rather than lug them with me! But no matter how much I get rid of our belongings multiple before the next move!
When I was in college I had a boyfriend that lived a minimal lifestyle. His goal was to be able to packed everything he owned into his car and move in one trip if the need ever rose. He never had to rent a truck if he had to move. All his clothes could be packed into two small suitcases. His bed sat on a frame made from milk crates. All the crates doubled as moving boxes and he could pack all his things in them then into the trunk of his car. I always thought he was odd not having any major furniture or keepsakes. Now I look at him as a fine example of how my family and I should live. Of course with a child I'll never be able to make one trip with the car to move but at least I can get things to a point where one medium moving truck is all I need.
To combat the clutter, living out of boxes and the growing amounts of belongings I have come up with a plan. I will go through one box everyday. Items will be put into one of three classifications; Keep, Throw Away and Donate/Give Away.
The items to Keep will be put away in their proper place. Or packed into a box that is clearly labeled and placed neatly in the basement or storage.
Throw Away items are ones that do not have a use and are of no use to anyone else. Mostly paper scraps or what we all call "trash".
Donate/Give Away items are self explanatory. These will be kept in a box til it is full and then taken to a donation center or listed as "free" on Craigslist.
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