Need motivation to declutter, organize and simplify? Here are the 7 things that I was surprised to learn when I purged our home of over 168 things!
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Last fall I did a four week decluttering challenge where I purged our house of over 168 things! I’ve always been more of a “stuff” person, so this was kind of a big deal to me.
And while it felt like a big task in some ways (mostly because as I purged, I ended up reorganizing), I soon realized that there are a lot of benefits to living with less stuff and decluttering.
In fact, I loved the results so much that I’m hoping to do another big purging session this spring!
Here are the things that help give me motivation to declutter.
7 Reasons to Live with Less Stuff and Declutter
1. Saves Time
I’ve become increasingly aware of how much time we waste because of all of our stuff. The more stuff you have, the more maintenance you have, the more time it takes to clean and organize and the easier it is to misplace something.
I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather use my time for things that I actually enjoy!
2. Easier to Be Organized
You know the saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place”? Well, if you have a ton of stuff, it’s really hard to do that and you end up losing things, wasting time looking for things and buying things that you really don’t need because you can’t find the one you already own.
I’m finding that the less I have, the easier it is to stay organized. I know that is kind of obvious. But really, I truly didn’t realize how much of a difference it makes!
3. Refreshes
There is something about having lots of stuff that just zaps the energy right out of you. Everywhere you look you see something that needs to be put away or that needs to be fixed or folded or whatever.
It’s much easier to manage and take care of just a few things. Plus, visual clutter is just tiring. There is something about clean, open spaces that are refreshing and energizing!
4. More Inviting
Clutter makes your home look messy, full and, well, cluttered! And there is simply nothing inviting about that!
By decluttering and keeping only the things that you really love and use, you create a space that is much more welcoming. Remember what I said about open spaces being refreshing and energizing?
5. Saves Money
If you are simplifying and living with less, not only will you save money because you won’t be buying as much stuff, you will also not have pay as many late fees and overdue fees because you will likely find it easier to be organized.
And I know there have been times that we simply haven’t been able to find something and ended up spending money to replace it, only later to come across the original item.
Obviously, had we been more organized, we could have saved ourselves that money!
Tip: Want to make money selling your clutter? It’s really quite easy!
6. Helps You Appreciate What You Have
I’m not quite sure how to explain this, but when you have less stuff, somehow you just appreciate the things that you do have more.
I’m finding that the less we have, the more I’m grateful for what we have and the more I try to take care of those things.
7. Allows You to Focus on What Matters
You soon start realizing that stuff is just that: stuff. While things are nice to have, you can’t take them with you when you die and they so quickly can be lost through theft, fires etc.
There was something about the process of decluttering that made me realize that again in a new way. I’m not against having material possessions, but I don’t want those things to keep me from living life to the fullest.
For myself, I feel like having less stuff allows me to be able to focus on the things that really matter like my family, friends and the things that I really truly enjoy doing.
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Leanne
Excellent post!! Doesn’t it feel great to declutter? I always feel so much lighter after purging items.
What motivates me to declutter? Making room for new items, lol jk…kind of…. I am motivated by keeping a clean and orderly home. You’re right, too much time spent on too many items. It’s not efficient and much harder to function. Happy minimizing!
ThriftyFrugalMom
Well, actually the thing of making room for new items makes sense, Leanne. Because unless you get rid of things as new things come in you soon are buried in clutter and stuff!
Cheryl
One year our church collected things for a town that had a tornado go through it. It was a lot easier giving things to a great cause. I sent garbage bags full of kitchen items to towels to bedding some hardly ever used (why have 8 sets of sheets? I usually wash and put the same set back on the bed 8 out of 10 times) My house was easier to keep clean and someone else benefited that really needed it.
ThriftyFrugalMom
Cheryl, I love that! I recently did something similar and donated a bunch of clothing and blankets to an organization that was collecting things to help those displaced by ISIS in the Middle East. And I agree, it made it so much easier to get rid of things when I thought of how much I had and how little they had. And being able to bless others with my things brings so much joy too!
Pamela Smith
I completely went through all my cupboards and closets last summer too! I asked myself, “If I was moving to another house, would I take this along,” or “can I borrow another or get one cheap if I need it.” This made a huge difference! I ended up having 2 yard sales because I had so much stuff. It does make life much easier to get rid of it. Thanks for the reminder!
ThriftyFrugalMom
Pamela, those are great questions to ask and I can totally see how they help. And how fun that you were able to make some money off your excess!
Meaghan
We’ve been purging a lot recently. It feels so freeing like taking of layers of weight when items are removed. I love it! Thanks for sharing.
ThriftyFrugalMom
Yes, I continue to be amazed at how good and freeing it feels to purge and live with less. Just last week I got rid of a few dresses that I never wore anymore. I was surprised at how hard it was for me to part with them, but knowing how wonderful it feels to have less made me go ahead and do it. And you know what? I’m loving the extra space in my closet and haven’t regretted it once! 🙂
Holly
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! Everything you said is TOTALLY true, and I find that I feel the same way! The hard part is the process of actually getting rid of the things you don’t need, especially if you’re like me who has had a storage unit and family childhood items left in my care. It can feel so overwhelming! Thanks for the pep talk! 😉
P.S. Is this a photo of your living room?? wow!
ThriftyFrugalMom
Yes, it can be so overwhelming! And I love making money off things but during my last decluttering spree, I actually just put a bunch of stuff that I typically would have tried to sell in a box for Goodwill. Sometimes the fact that I don’t feel as overwhelmed and can easily just get rid of the stuff is worth the loss of whatever money I would have made on my “junk”!
And no, that is not my living room. I wish! 🙂 I’m not quite that gifted in decorating, unfortunately. It’s simply a beautiful free stock image that I happened across.
Monica
What motivates me to keep clutter away is not having a lot of places to store clutter. I am sure you can relate! By the way, the new blog looks great and I’m so glad you mentioned on fb that you were away. When things got quiet I started to get worried, and forgot that Bible school is in session. Whew! Now that I’m subscribed here I’ll never miss a post again…or worry.
ThriftyFrugalMom
Oh Monica, I can always count on you to make me smile!
Yes, I can very much relate to not having places to store stuff. I sometimes wish we lived in a bigger house…and then I don’t. Besides, it’s less space to keep clean too! Ha!
Ah, so sweet of you to miss me. 😉 I’m not sure I’m worthy of such loyalty though. I’m really missing connecting with my Facebook followers. I can’t tell you how often I think of something or read something and think, “Oh, I need to post this to Facebook!” only to remember I can’t. So glad you are subscribed and can now relax. I definitely don’t want to be the cause of causing someone worry! Ha!