18 August 2010

Extra stuff be gone!!!

I need to do some massive de-cluttering/getting rid of stuff/organizing . My apartment is tiny, which means I don't really have that much extra stuff, but I would to prefer to get rid of things I don't use and live more simply and with less clutter. 

Unfortunately, I am feeling tons of guilt about throwing things away! There are environmental reasons, sentimental, and tons of other excuses for holding on to unnecessary stuff. Reading the post linked below helped me out with some of that... honestly, the "finding a new home" sounds like the best solution, but also the most involved. And I want this to be as quick and painless as possible. Yes, I am lazy. (Which is why I'm totally rewarding myself with a cleaning service post-declutter.)

Also, starting this project is daunting. I'm hoping to go with the one-drawer-at-a-time approach, but if anyone thinks that just making a weekend of it would be better, please comment! I need help!

The Wastefulness of Decluttering; or How to Make Less Count for More

1 comment:

Kris said...

I like the one drawer at a time approach. My strategy is to completely clean and de-clutter a small but visible space, like a set of shelves you see when you walk in the door, or one section of countertop and the cabinet below it. That one visibly organized space makes me happy and motivates me to keep going. Sometimes. Other times, it gives a false sense of accomplishment and I feel like I've done enough for awhile. I never get the whole place done the way I intend to.

As for throwing/giving stuff away, I'm a fan of charity resale shops. But they're also excellent places to find new clutter. (It's for a good cause...and buying this item here will keep it out of a landfill...and it's ridiculously cheap...and I would totally make homemade ice creams and sorbets EVERY DAY if I had the appropriate space-wasting appliance.) So I tend to buy things there, try them out, and re-donate them for someone else to buy. It's not clear whether the net effect is more or less cluter.

Good luck!