Easy Tough Love Tips for De-cluttering

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

25 May 2009 03:17 PM

While getting rid excess stuff seems like an easy thing to do (just start in one place and keep going), for many of us de-cluttering is tough to do. From not knowing where to start to having an emotional attachment to our stuff, we can be our own worse enemies when it comes to having an organized home.

One thing that may help in your de-cluttering efforts is to practice some tough love with yourself. Practicing tough love means that you establish certain rules for yourself and then follow them most of the time. Notice I said most of the time because tough love doesn't have to be cruel; it can actually be easy. But having the rules in place will establish great habits and give you a chance to get rid of stuff without debate.

1. The one in, two out

Whenever you bring anything into your house, you have to bring two things out. Normal trash doesn't count. You might feel tempted to cheat by throwing away some junk mail and other easy things at first, but eventually you will get down to the nitty gritty and get your home de-cluttered. One thing that helps with this tip is to try and keep the two out items in the same family as the one in. So if you being home a new shirt, get rid of two other pieces of clothing.

2. Reduce your storage

With less space to store things, there will be less clutter that will fit in. For example, f you have an attic space, consider turning it into a room or insulating it. If you have an overwhelming amount, take small steps to reduce the space. You could use a screen to create a temporary wall to section off your storage space and turn it into usable space. Another way to reduce your storage space is to remove an extra dresser or reduce the number of storage boxes you have.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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