5 Easy Tips to Eliminate Your Stuff

As a Professional Organizer, I am often asked, “Have your every seen anyone with this much stuff?” The answer is yes and much of it is not being used by my clients.  The questions become how much should I have, how much is too much, and what should I keep?  There is no simple answer as everyone is different and their reasons are different. 

Basement Stuff

Many of my clients have boxes stored in the basement or closets stuffed full and wonder what to do.  Here are 5 easy tips to eliminate your stuff. 

When I am working with my clients, I often talk to them about passing the items along to someone else who can enjoy them as much as they have and giving that item another life.  If it is stuffed away in a box, you are clearly not using it.  My first tip is donating to a family that can use it will give you a much better feeling then leaving it in that box.

My next tip is if it something you have from a deceased relative, are you honoring them by leaving it in the corner of the basement?  The answer is no and you should turn it into something to honor them or take a picture and tell the story of that relative. 

Tip 3 is if you had to move due to a job change, would you really want to move all those boxes and pay for them to be moved?  Due to recent events, many are moving to find work. 

The next tip is that if you are keeping the item for someone, have you asked them if they want it?  I find that many of my clients keep things thinking their children will want them in the future but that is just not the case.  Every generation is different and much of the current generation is not interested in items from grandmother or dishes that cannot be washed in the dishwasher.  Ask and accept their answer.    

The final tip is do not save everything for a special occasion.  Start using them now and enjoy them because that special occasion might be too far away.  So many items I see are only used once a year.  They were made to enjoy and those who gave them to you would be happy if they were being used and not stored in an old box and forgotten. 

If you need some help getting started or need to know where to donate some of those items, give me a call.  I hope your goal to eliminate your stuff works well for you with these tips.