Homemaking in the 20's: Decluttering Tips!

Hey there, hi there, ho there!

I'm so glad you are BACK for another blog post! Welcome!

So you may follow me on Instagram and if you do, you may have seen that I set a goal for 2022 to delcutter my entire house from top to bottom. Every. Single. Room. I came up with a little schedule for myself, and each month I am decluttering a different space in my home! Why? Just to make my life easier, and to only have the things we need, use, and want. If there is something in my closet that is not being used or loved, then I want it GONE! It is no less wasteful to keep a bunch of stuff and not use it than it is to get rid of things. I am just so tired of spaces being unorganized, of having to clean so much, and not being able to find my things in a timely manner. It feels like a burden, and my home being cluttered makes my mind feel cluttered. I started this process in January and I am keeping ya'll updated on Instagram and on my monthly newsletter. I want to share some before and after photos here on the blog at the end of the year when I'm finished. It already feels so good and like I can breathe a little bit better!

Minimalism is kind of a trend right now, and there are some extremist out there. I am not a minimalist! Someone I watch on Youtube called it essentialism, and I loved that! I want to keep what we feel is essential to living a happy, organized, functional, fun life.

I wanted to share a few rules that I'm following and tips I've learned just in the past three months of decluttering. I'm still very new at decluttering and organizing and I have a LOT to learn. This isn't going to be a one time thing either, it's going to be a habitual thing I do every year, even every month, to make sure we don't have more than we need + use. I'm learning as I go, learning what things I struggle with letting go of, and what systems work for me. I keep envisioning clean, organized spaces that are easy to keep clean and locate items. I cannot wait to share those pictures with you! Let's get into it.

Questions I Ask Myself

When I am decluttering, here are some questions I ask about the things I'm getting rid of!

1 // Have we used it since our wedding?

If the answer is no, it's GONE! We have been married for 4 years in June. Even if it was a wedding gift, if we don't use it, it's leaving the house!

2 // Have we used it since we moved?

We did not declutter a whole lot before we moved. I was very pregnant and my mind was not on straight and I was still struggling with fatigue. I wish wish wish I had done a massive declutter, but we did not. We moved two years ago this summer, and if we haven't used it since we moved into our house, it needs to go!

3 // Is it of monetary value?

If it is a valuable or could be sold, it's worth keeping and reevaluating later. I want to get the most out of our money, so if it's something we could sell, I don't want to just chuck it right off the bat. Some things are worth thinking a little bit more about before getting rid of it.

4 // Is it of sentimental value?

It's okay to have sentimental things! If it has a special memory or experience attached to it, it's okay to keep that! You can minimize how many items memorialize a particular moment or memory, and still keep sentimental pieces.

5 // Have I worn it this season?

For a LONG time, I have seasonally decluttered my clothes. If I haven't touched a certain clothing item, it needs to go! I have some things that I want to keep because they cost a lot of money and I will eventually wear them. But in general if I haven't worn it this season I need to donate it!

6 // Is there a potential use for this?

Somethings have potential use. It's worth taking a minute to consider if this item could be used somewhere else or for a different purpose. I don't want to just get rid of everything. I want to be purposeful about decluttering, so if something can be used, I want to find a use for it. It's a tricky balance. Don't keep things that you can't name a use for almost immediately.

Here are some tips!

It can kind of be overwhelming to declutter, and it can be hard to let go of things too. Especially if you spent money on something! Here are a few tips that kind of help me get in the right mindset, get past the overwhelm, and get the job done! There are some tips for organizing too, after you declutter!

1 // Focus on getting rid of things, not cleaning!

It's so easy to get caught up in dusting and vacuuming areas, and reorganizing everything off the bat. However this is distracting and will deter you from decluttering the fastest way possible. When you start decluttering, just focus on getting rid of stuff! It doesn't matter if it's organized or clean (yet!), just focus on removing items from the area you are decluttering and remember you can clean later.

2 // Take your time!

Don't try to bite off too much at one time or it is easy to get overwhelmed. Set a timer for 10 minutes and just do what you can in that time. It is so helpful. I often find myself making faster decisions and getting more done because I only have ten minutes. You could even try to do 10 minutes everyday!

3 // Declutter first, then organize!

If you are wanting to really organize, decluttering is such a helpful thing! Because maybe you aren't necessarily unorganized, but you just have too much stuff! After you declutter, organizing will be so much easier!

4 // Every Item Needs a Home

If you can't find a home for an item, maybe you don't need it? Baskets make great homes for things that didn't have a home before and just sat on counters or shelves! They are the easiest way to give an item a home!

That's all of my tips and rules for now. I'm sure I will learn more and find even better ways to do things. If you are an organizing guru, please leave your favorite tips below in a comment! I'd love to hear!

Happy Decluttering!