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Clutter control has become an industry with books, TV programs, websites, personal organizers, specialized shops, etc. The irony is that in order to get organized, people have to throw away things that cost them a lot of money in the first place. On top of that they have to spend more money on books, personal organizers, shelves, file cabinets, and so on to get organized.
How to control
clutter?
One possibility could be to use common sense. These are some of the old school rules to avoid clutter:
1- Avoid buying or bringing into your home anything that will lead to clutter. It’s that simple. There is no need to spend money on things that you don’t desperately need, then struggle to organize them, and put unnecessary stress in you life.
2- Do not buy what you do not have an immediate use for.
3- If you need something, buy objects that can have multiple uses. Alton Brown, one of the chefs on the Food Network, is always saying this concerning kitchen tools. Avoid buying a utensil or kitchen appliance that can only be used for one purpose, especially if you are not going to use it often. The same applies to everything else in your home – if space is at a premium, for example, buy a sofa bed.
4- Reuse, create new uses, and recycle. When you determine that you need something else, look around you and see if you already have a similar object in your home, or you can modify something you have.
5- Do not buy what does not go with your decoration. Little by little your home will look crowded and uncoordinated otherwise. If you get a gift that does not fit in, try to bring it back to the shop and exchange it or sell it on Ebay.
6- Do not buy clothes that: do not fit you, you will not use, do not go with at least a couple of pieces you already have or you cannot afford. If you love a piece that does not fit in this category, do not buy it right away, go home and think about it. A few days later, go back to the shop, try it on again, and if you are still in love with that piece and it is not going to cost a lot, then buy it; otherwise let it go.
7- If you have kids, apply to them the same principles regarding toys and clothes.
8- If you no do not need something, try alternative uses, try to sell it, recycle or simply give it away to someone who might be in need.
8- Use the resources around you. For example, the library, bookstores, recycle centers, friends/family members, websites like freecycle.com and other similar resources.
9- Buy quality, buy what you really love, and take your time to decorate your home.
10- Look for a system to eliminate what you do not need, such as books (sell them on Amazon or donate them), clothes (donate them to a local charity), toys (bring them to a collection point around Christmas), etc.
11- If you have clutter, make a calendar and little by little, try to tackle one task at a time.
12-You may need to spend money on more shelving and organizing tools, but in the long run, you should be saving money by avoiding clutter in your home – which not only makes your life difficult, make your home look ugly, it may also cause you depression.
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