We
all live in a fast moving world full of things. We have
more belongings in our life than in any other time in our
history as we can now afford to have more. However this is
not necessarily a good thing if we let our desire to own
things overwhelm us and plunge us into debt and worry.
One of the benefits of choosing
to live a more frugal lifestyle is that not only do you
spend less and so avoid the pitfalls of mounting debt but
we also simplify our lives and reduce the clutter
surrounding us. Many things can cause stress but one of
the most overlooked areas of the causes of stress is
clutter. Living in an over crowded space full of
untidiness and a lack of space can be very stressful and
difficult to think clearly in.
Clutter can be caused and defined
as many different things. It can range from:
Too many toys left lying around
the house Piles of un-ironed clothing Wardrobes bulging
with items of unworn clothes Magazine and newspapers left
scattered on the kitchen table Display surfaces crowed
with too many dusty ornaments Rooms full of furniture
either too big for the room or mainly unused.
These are just a few examples of
things cluttering up our lives, our homes and our minds.
By taking a more frugal approach to belongings and our
home environment we can remove at least one aspect of
stress from our lives and create space in which to be able
to think more clearly and objectively in.
To make a start at de-cluttering
your home you will need a few items to help you sort out
all the mess. The basics are or course old cardboard boxes
that can be frugally sourced from your local supermarket
and rags for cleaning. A good thick black felt tip pen for
labelling boxes for easy identification and a note pad and
pen.
The first thing you need to do is
to give yourself time to de-clutter your home on a regular
basis. Expecting to do it all in one go is unrealistic and
boring too, so allocate a set period of time either every
day or week and keep to it by using an alarm clock telling
you when to stop. This will make the job far more
manageable and even fun, especially if you play music
while you de-clutter.
The next thing you need to do is
to identify what needs to be kept and what doesn't, this
can seem rather daunting at first but with note pad in
hand walk around the house and ask yourself these
questions to help motivate and clarify the situation.
Do I use this item? Do I have
another item that does the same thing? What purpose does
this item have and does it add anything to my home? Does
this item need to be in this room? Does this have any
sentimental attachment?
Be ruthless and realistic, the
more you can create space and tidiness the more relaxing
your home will become. It is also important during this
process to have a very clear mental image of how you want
each room to look; this will be a very strong motivational
image that will spur you on.
You may find that you still end
up with far to many items that you want to keep but just
don't really have the space for. There are several
solutions to this:
You can pay for some extra
storage elsewhere, this can be a good solution if you have
large items of furniture you wish to keep for the future,
but the cost will have to be weighed up against the
benefits of keeping the item.
Store the items in attics and
basements in labelled boxes.
Create cheap storage solutions
within your rooms using cardboard boxes and wrapping paper
for decoration.
This last suggestion can be great
fun, as you can decorate the boxes in anyway you want to
match the décor of your rooms and with a little creativity
and flair can even add to a rooms over all look and feel.
De-cluttering your life is a
great way to distress your life and can even make you a
little money if you decide to sell unwanted items. Most
other items can be recycled or given to charity and so has
the added bonus of making you feel good about yourself
too.
