How to Decide What to Throw Away
No matter how much you love what you’ve bought, everything you own takes up space. As you accumulate more and more things, it can be easy to run out of room. So how do you decide what to keep when you run out of space in your home? First, you’ll want to ask yourself some questions. It’s an important decision to make. After all, it’s well known that a decluttered home is good for your mental health. That goes for your overall health, too – An open home keeps you safe from pests like mice. So what questions can you ask yourself? If you have trouble deciding whether to keep or throw away something, you’re in luck. Asking yourself these four easy questions will make the process a lot simpler.
1) Is it expired? Throw It Away.
Your desk may not be edible, but that doesn’t mean the things in it don’t expire. Receipts and old bills are examples of paperwork with an expiration date. Do you have stacks and stacks of receipts “for taxes” that you never pull out again? Do you have an old cover letter or resume taking up room in a drawer? Consider buying a shredder and disposing of them.
Useless items are also expired. If something no longer fits, either toss it, take a picture of it, or frame it and turn it into some wall art. Broken tools or dishes that have sentimental value count, too. In general, if you aren’t using something, often it isn’t useful. If you’re using something wrong, it’s also outlived its usefulness.
2) Do I need it – Why do I need it?
While some documents are useless after a pretty quick span, some are more important. Your last will and testament, warranty information, receipts for recent purchases, licenses… And especially tax return information is essential to keep. However, they can take up less space if filed correctly. Fireproof lockboxes are very helpful in this regard. If you’re going to keep something, you should know what you will use it for and when.
3) Do you like it?
We get attached to things for good reason – The things we love make us happy. Looking at a nostalgic photo or heirloom trinket can take us back to special days. Be careful that you don’t let nostalgia clog up your home, though. Instead, try to limit yourself to what you have room for and pick a few important pieces to keep. Decluttering is about creating the opportunity for making more happy memories, after all.
4) Again, do you absolutely need it?
It can be easy to set yourself up to hang onto things if you think that “someday” you might need something. That someday often doesn’t come, though. If you do decide to keep something, make sure you use it. That antique crystal doesn’t have to sit in the dark – Bring it out and spice up your dining area. That old power tool? You might be able to rent it out. If you’ve got expensive devices like stand mixers or paddle boats, rent them out! Make your belongings work for you. If they can’t do that, it’s time to toss them and move on. If you need help decluttering a house, contact us at Green Bee Maids and schedule a meeting.