Let's face it. We live in a world of excess.
Imagine how much money you could save if you changed a few habits and lifestyle choices! Before a financial crisis is staring you in the face – that’s when you take inventory of your unnecessary material goods and evaluate your spending habits. Not to mention, our bodies crave order. Neuroscientists have discovered that clutter actually impacts our brains negatively.
We’ve all heard of the families who gave away all their worldly possessions to live in an RV or move into a tiny home. You don’t need to go to that extreme to make an impact.
Let’s dive in with some ideas on how to live with less in order to line our pockets with more.
The Six Month Rule
Go through every closet, cabinet and storage space. Remove anything you haven’t used in the past six months. If that seems painful, then store it out of sight for 30 days and if you haven’t missed it, get rid of it.
Purge Excess
Do you really need more than two sets of sheets per bed size or more than two towels per person cluttering up the closet? How about that box of jewelry that you ignore because you migrate to the same few favorites? And most of us have enough kitchen items and lawn tools to outfit a second home. Gather up your duplicates and keep only the best.
Start with Baby Steps
Break it down so it’s not overwhelming. Work on one room at a time. Declutter, organize, donate and sell. Choose a reasonable timeframe to complete your task and reward yourself with something that genuinely makes you happy when complete.
Those Things That Linger
You know, that closet full of DIY and craft projects you were going to get around to. Those sentimental doodads that have no practical use. Those photo albums that could be scanned and stored virtually or made into a photo book. Those broken items that we intended to repair someday.
One In, One Out
For every new item you bring into your home, one goes to the donate or sell pile. It’s as simple as that.
The key to living simpler is doing so with intent. It takes practice, but over time you will be surprised by how much money you will save and how good you will feel. It's true - decluttered space equals a decluttered mind.
Struggling with debt and don't know where to begin? Let us help you make a plan!
