Boxes and Bags, Why do we keep them?

How many boxes and shopping bags do you have sitting around in your home right now?  If you are like many of my clients, the number is probably dozens or possibly hundreds.  I can't explain the fascination for these items, but I see it all the time.  

Clients save the boxes they get when they buy a product, the boxes items are shipped in and now the amazon boxes.  I have seen crawl spaces and attics packed with hundreds of boxes.   As we start to go through the boxes, they often say they do not even own that product anymore, so we can eliminate the box.  When I inquire about the boxes of products they still own, they often think they need the box to move or take it back, but reality is that if the warranty has expired, you will never need the box and movers use their own boxes.  If you need a few boxes for mailing, only keep 4 because remember, those boxes will keep coming.  

What about those lovely shopping bags?  Some are so decorative and some have a brand name that means something to my clients such as Coach or Neiman Marcus.  Some are large and some are very small.  Again, we seem to have some obsession about these bags that when we drag them out, there are hundreds and we don't even know it because we just keep stuffing them in that spot.  Do you really need that many?  The answer is probably not, but you tell yourself you might need one some day but not all of them.  Keep a dozen and recycle the rest.  I always tell my clients to keep one in their closet and when something they are trying on to wear does not make them feel wonderful or just doesn't look right, put it in the bag.  


The other bag I see consistently is the plastic grocery bag and usually it is overflowing the space it is currently occupying.  Most of the time my client explains they use them for the dog.  I would guess they have enough bags to last that dog over a year or two.  Think about it, how many bags do you usually come home with when you go to the store?  I am guessing most of the time, it is at least 5 or more.  You will not stop grocery shopping, so do not feel the need to keep every bag because there will always be more.  Take a large bag, fill it and then take the remainder to the grocery store to recycle.  


Clean the bag and box clutter from your home and use that space for something you truly need or just enjoy the space.  

To see more of my blogs, visit my website Transformare Organizing Services




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Clutter Impacts Your Happiness: Organize Your Space Today! By Guest Blogger Matt Adams Your Garage Guys