It is the beginning of a new year. We have just finished celebrating the holidays and we all received wonderful gifts to add to our already full homes. We look around and wonder where will we put everything. Then we must consider, will we spend more money to buy containers and shelves and storage units to store our ever-growing number of belongings?

The concept of de-cluttering your life looks different for every family and situation. Our family started going through this process several years ago and continues to refine our goals each year. Each year we discover new advantages of having less clutter in our lives.

MAKE MONEY

Once you determine what you are willing to give up you can earn quite a bit of money by selling the items yourself or you can use an auction company to either purchase out right or auction for you.  Options to donate can include a charitable organization, a family in need, or give to your grown children to help them start their life on their own. If donating items remember to get receipts to help with possible tax deductions.

As you start going through drawers, boxes and old coats don’t be surprised when you start finding lost change, cash, or checks.  Small amounts of cash add up quickly.

CUT EXPENSES

Every time you choose not to make a purchase, you are giving yourself a raise. You are also less likely to make impulse purchases when you are actively pursuing a clutter free life.

Once you have a manageable number of items remaining in your home, you become more knowledgeable of what you actually own and where to find it. At that point you will be less likely to re-purchase items because you can’t find them or forgot you owned them.

REDUCE LATE FEES

Decluttering will help you keep track of bills, receipts and important paperwork.  You will usually end up with less bills to pay and you will have a specific location to store your financial records for easy tracking. When you have your paperwork organized it will be easier to keep track of your payment schedules avoiding late fees.

STOP PAYING FOR STORAGE

The storage industry is currently a booming business. A storage unit, for example, will cost you anywhere from $40 to $200 per month. Even without a storage unit, many families over spend on a house simply to provide a place to store their purchased items.  Once in our homes, every item will need a storage container or shelf to store, once again adding to the cost of the item.

REDUCE DEBT

According to CNBC* the average credit card debt per household in 2016 was $8,377.  By making less purchases, selling unneeded items, removing storage costs and reducing late fees you will be adding less debt to your life in addition to having extra funds to reduce current debt.

MORE TIME

The less that you own, the less items you need to clean and maintain. Once you have margin back in your schedule you are able to focus your time on activities that bring you the most joy and happiness instead of cleaning and maintaining items that may not be your highest priority.

REDUCE STRESS

Clutter can distract you, weigh you down, and in general it invites chaos into your life.   As “stuff” piles up in your house or work environment, it can negatively influence your ability to process information and focus.

EXTEND THE LIFE OUR YOUR CAR

If you have less items to store in your garage you actually have room for your car. By bringing one of your most expensive purchases into the garage you can easily extend the life of your investment by years.

BOTTOM LINE

Getting clutter out of your life is hard work and will not be a quick process. Stay encouraged throughout the process by setting small goals each week. Always keep in mind that you are letting go of good things to make room for great things in your life. Reach out to us at Kuderer Financial if you need help putting together a plan to reduce the clutter in your life.

*https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/17/how-much-the-average-us-family-has-in-credit-card-debt.html