Clutter is something many of us have and live with on a daily basis. However, there are several strategies you can implement to avoid clutter in your home.
Don’t let it in the front door.
The best way to stop clutter is to never let it begin! Make thoughtful decisions about what you acquire and what is allowed to enter your home. This will help you cut back on impulse purchases and items without a purpose.
A place for everything.
At the end of the day you go home, right? Well, so should all your stuff. If everything has a designated place or “home” then putting everything away is easy. Don’t dump bags and shoes at the front door, take the time to put all your things in the correct place. If you live with a spouse or have kids create pick-up spaces for their stuff, so you can put their odds and ends into one place and then the rightful owner can put everything away at the end of the day.
Declutter before holidays.
People tend to accumulate more stuff around their birthday and the holidays, institute yearly clean-out times before these events so you have room for new things. This is a great practice to institute if you have children, so excess toys don’t pile up.
Deal with the mail immediately.
When you bring in the mail, don’t set it in a pile to be forgotten about. Immediately recycle or throw away junk mail and file important mail in the correct place so you can address it in a timely manner.
Try a budget.
A budget will help you keep track of finances, spend less and ultimately reduce clutter as you will cut down on impulse purchases.
Donate.
We know you have been meaning to donate those old clothes, but now is the time to actually do it. Once a month make an effort to go by your preferred donation center and help someone else out by decluttering your home. Take a tour around your home before donation day to consider what you need and what you don’t.
Photograph sentimental items.
You may be holding on to a lot of things simply because they have sentimental value. If the items are no longer useful, consider making a digital archive of some of your favorite memories by photographing the sentimental items and then donating them.
No dumping allowed.
Many families have dumping zones that become repositories for random junk, whether it is a junk drawer, spare room or the garage. Don’t let one of these spaces become your family’s scapegoat for clutter.
Move.
While we don’t advocate moving solely to rid your home of clutter, moving sure helps you let go of excess stuff. Moving forces families to go through everything and isolate what is valuable and what is superfluous. Nobody wants to spend the time packing or moving useless items.
Whether you are getting rid of clutter for a move or are simply trying to live a clutter-free existence, there’s no time like the present!
Original Source: https://squarecowmovers.com/how-to-avoid-clutter/