Two Easy Steps to Decluttering Your Home

I have been watching Clean House on Netflix and it has motivated me to organize my apartment. Living in a 400 sq. ft. apartment studio can be a blessing or a curse: a blessing if you are a minimalist and you like to live clutter-free; a curse if you are like me who has a lot of everything and no room to storage or display them all.

Where to start?

1. The Four-Box Method:
1. Trash – all the items you know you hate, the old bills, torn/broken items.
2. Keep – the items you love. Yes! LOVE, not like or like a lot. You must love, Love, LOVE the item for you give yourself the permission to keep it.
3. Sale – all items people will be willing to buy, DVDs, books, clothes. Either have a yard sale or use eBay, Craigslist or Amazon to sell the items.
4. Donate – give away items that you are embarrassed to give to someone, but is still good. My favorite place give these items is Goodwill. This also give you a tax write-off at the end of the year.
2. 15 Minutes a Day:
1. Make a list of what you need to do to help declutter your house.
2. Pick a time everyday to do one or two items on your list for 15 minutes
3. Set a timer for 15 minutes
4. Start from one corner and work your way to the other corners

Sample List:

1.     Tackle on shelf to clear out or organize.

2.     Pick up 15 items and relocate them.

3.     Clean one drawer.

4.     Toss out clothes you haven’t worn over two years.

Benefits of a clutter-free home?

1. Peace of mind
2. More money in your pocket (I actually found two gift cards with a total of $105!!)
3. Entertaining friends
4. Control over your life and finances 

I am going to leave you with this great quote from Donald Horban,
“We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.”

Written by Linh Dang

Founder of FreedomCollage