So hop to it. Need help? Read:

Organizing by Simplifying

How To Start Getting Rid of Stuff – Get Rid of “Maybe” Items

Clutter Confessions and Denial

The Case Against Deep Storage

What exactly is clutter?

Post from: Blisstree

Quick Clutter Tip: Donate before December 31st

I’m not so much for deep storage. Basically because I can’t figure out why you’d deep storage stuff you have no room for in the first place. We discussed this before – to a point in the following posts:

• Organizing by Simplifying
• How To Start Getting Rid of Stuff – Get Rid of “Maybe” Items
• Four Tips for Clearing Out Sentimental Clutter

Because all the organizing gurus seem to be so deep storage gung ho, and because most things I read don’t differentiate between junk and useful deep storage, I figured we’d look at deep storage, and consider when it’s actually useful vs. when deep storage becomes junk hording.

All of the following items are recommended as deep storage candidates in organizing books I’ve read. I broke it down some more because I don’t agree that everything is a good deep storage idea.

Stuff that belongs in deep storage:

Holiday decorations – but not boxes and boxes. I’m talking decorations you actually put up each year.

Seasonal bedding.

Small boxes of sentimental stuff.

Items you’re saving for your children (significant baby outfits, cards, a few choice toys, etc).

Stuff that may belong in deep storage:

Holiday and special occasion dishes including textiles like holiday tablecloths – personally I think holiday and special occasion dishes are items you should purge. If you use something just once a year, you need to seriously consider if it has storage worth. I know some will disagree, but the path to clutter free and organized does call for tough choices. Dishes you don’t use daily are a waste of space. Also, if the dishes make the holiday, it’s worth it to consider whether or not your family is celebrating in a family focused way, or a visual stuff focused way.

Seasonal clothing. I’m torn. I don’t believe in deep storing clothing. I think you’re asking for trouble. One, if you buy clothes on sale out of season, it’s tough to remember what you have if you don’t see it often. I.e. if you see that stack of winter sweaters you won’t buy five more just because they’re on sale – you’ll remember that you have them. Two, once you start deep storing clothing it can become addictive. Anything that doesn’t fit in the closet can go into deep storage. Do you need more clothing than what can fit in a typical closet? Likely no. All that said, if you have an exceptionally small closet, deep storage may be your only option for seasonal clothing.

Canning supplies.

Stuff that does not belong in deep storage:

The bread machine or blender. Come on now; if you don’t use the bread machine when it’s on the counter, are you really going to pull it out of deep storage?

Knick knack collections. I read this one book that recommended keeping only one knick knack collection at a time in your living room, then keeping the others in deep storage, and switching collections out a few times a year. Talk about poor time management. Too many knick knack collections do look cluttered in one space, say, the dining room. However, having many collections stored away is just as silly, and just as cluttering. Choose collections wisely. Showcase one or two favorites in your home, or one per space (or room) and give up the rest.

Photos. Deep storage photos are photos that may never find a use, or get organized. I think photos to be sorted should be kept out where you’re more likely to take care of them.

Stuff to fix – ripped clothing, broken frames, a chair that needs refinished. Don’t ever put broken items in deep storage. That creates a pretty good bet that the item will never get fixed.

Extra bathroom items like Q-tips, shampoo, deodorant, and toilet paper. Frankly I’m surprised that people would even suggest these items as deep storage candidates. I know some people like to buy in bulk, in fact I used to buy a lot of stuff in bulk, but here’s the thing; when you get bulk obsessed you can save money, but your home can also become WAY overly cluttered. Bulk vs. clutter are two situations you usually need to choose between unless you have a huge home and unlimited extra space. In my world, I chose less clutter. We don’t buy in bulk anymore and it saves us space and keeps our organizing issues to a minimum.

NOTE: One item I do think is a good candidate for bulk buying and storage are children’s art supplies. Or adult craft supplies. If you’re careful, and don’t go nuts, art and craft supplies are not a bad thing to deep store. Why? Because these are supplies that can be majorly expensive. If you find a great deal on art paper, pastels, or so fourth, AND you will use it, then it can be a good deep storage item.

What do you think makes an item a good candidate for deep storage?

Post from: Blisstree

The Case Against Deep Storage

To clarify, when I talk about simplifying, I’m talking about ditching some of that stuff you own, or stuff you buy, or new stuff you think you need. This includes the entire family.

Why simplify your life from an organizing point of view:

It clears out the clutter and makes your job of organizing so much simpler. Not only does this solve most organizing issues, but it frees up time you can use for other things.

You can see and use the stuff you already have. How many times have you needed something, but there’s so much clutter, that it’s hard to find. Has this ever resulted in you buying two of something? That bites, right?

It makes it easy for your kids to help out with cleaning and organizing. If you consider organizing from a kid’s point of view, the task can seem overwhelming. Where to start, how to organize, and ways to stay neat and tidy probably seem impossible to a kid looking inward at a room stuffed to the max.

It makes your house look neat for company and you can clean on a moment’s notice. It’s true, the less knick knacks to dust, the less piles to move, the quicker you clean. No more worries about company saying they’ll be over in five minutes.

So far as budget organizing goes, there’s no better way to get that budget organized and in shape than by spending less in the first place. I’m one of those people who write down every penny, if you’re like me, less stuff looks appealing from a accounting point of view.

Other good reasons to simplify your life:

Your brain will feel nice and clear when you see your space clear. I’m not sure if this is true for everyone, but I think for many it is. Too much visual stimulation (read mess and clutter) in our bedrooms, living areas, and lives in general, can make it hard to focus, tough to relax, and in some case cause a panicky feeling.

Once you attach to the idea of having less stuff you can reattach to what your real goals are. I’m sure your goals aren’t to have, have, have lots of stuff. At least, I hope not. It’s healthier to focus on finding your passions in life, time with your family, and activities you actually enjoy vs. working to earn money for stuff, cleaning up said stuff, and eventually trying to get rid of or store the stuff.

If you actively simplify your spaces and life, your kids will follow suit, especially if you start when they’re young.

Simplifying is better for the environment. There’s not a real argument here, if you care about the planet, you do need to exercise control when it comes to stuff.

Of course, a major aspect and benefit of simplifying in this country, is the elimination of debt. No one like debt, surely, we don’t want it, yet people have a lot of stuff. TVs for every family member, 30 pairs of shoes, 15 cookbooks, and more, it all gets to be a bit much, on our thinking, our space, and our wallets.

What’s next:

If you’re interested in learning more about stuff for the sake of stuff, materialism, and consumerism, especially as it relates to kids and families, another blog of mine has been running a week-long series about it. They’re green related posts, because it’s a green blog, but the issue of stuff, crosses over into all parts of our lives. I won’t be discussing this side of stuff much here at Declutter It, so if you’re interested, some good posts to check out at my other blog include:

• Raising Green Kids In A Commercial Culture
• Commercials Are Everywhere
• Eco-friendly Ways to Reward Kids
• As a parent, do you understand the impact of the need for stuff?
• Tips for Talking With Your Kids About Purchases
• If you’re so against having stuff, then why show all these products on this blog?
• Kids & Shopping – How Kids Can Be Smart Consumers

Here at Declutter It, we’re going to look at the organizing side of stuff and simplifying, more so than the consumer issues related to stuff, although it really does all tie together. About once or twice a week, I’ll do a post related to decluttering by means of simplifying. We’ll look at techniques for minimizing (that aren’t stressful), ways to make choices about which stuff you need to keep, and other related issues.

What are your thoughts on stuff? Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in stuff, your kid’s stuff? Do you have just the right amount of stuff, or not enough? Let me know.

[mural photo from mteson]

Post from: Blisstree

Organizing by Simplifying