Declutter Challenge Update No. 2

Updated on June 4, 2024

A little over a week ago I challenged myself to declutter 15 items per day for 15 days in preparation for our yard sale we are having next Saturday. It has been going pretty well, but it has turned into doing 30 items on one day instead of 15 over two days. This is just how it goes being a stay at home mom of two kids. Life doesn’t stop just because Mom has stuff to do!

I will share some more pictures and specific updates next week, but I wanted to share with you some of my struggles and how I am working to overcome them in case any of these ideas might help you!

I hate to throw things out. Being a frugal, earth-conscious individual, throwing anything out that has another purpose or life to it is really difficult for me. But, we do not have a huge amount of space and I don’t have a ton of time right now to do anything with these items. I am allowing myself a small area to keep items to repurpose and then if it is truly not something I can donate or sell, it has gone into the trash. Every time I throw out one of these items, my heart starts to beat a little faster, knowing I am contributing to the landfills, but sometimes this stuff just has to go! It deos get easier as you go though – I promise!

I am sentimental and put more value on my items than they are worth. When preparing for a yard sale, try to look at your items objectively. For me, this is hard because I know how much I paid for something or how much at one time in my life I loved that particular item. But, when I stand back and say to myself, “Would I pay $XX.XX amount of dollars for this item at someone else’s yard sale, it is often easier to lower the price. My prices for this yard sale are MUCH lower than what I would usually do. But, I want this stuff gone. And making a few dollars (or a few cents) is worth it to not have to deal with these items any longer.

If you are having a lot of trouble with how much you paid for something vs. how much you can sell it for, think of the money you spent on it more like you were renting the item. If you spent $25 on a shirt and wore it twice a month for 3 years, you only paid $0.34 each time you wore it. That is not too bad, and can make it easier to let it go for less than what you paid for it.

Someone special gave me an item so I feel the need to hang on to it. This can be a hard one. Especially if it is a gift from a close family member or friend. But, in reality, your home only has so much space. The more you fill it with ‘stuff’ the less time you have for the important things. Cleaning, putting away and taking care of your ‘stuff’ takes up valuable time from your day that could be put to better use. Imagine your house having only the items you love and use on a daily basis. What would that look like for you? What if you have a space for each item in your home, so things can get put away and not just thrown on a counter or in a pile! This is what we are aiming for.

I try to remember that whoever gave me an item loves me and bought the item for me or someone in my house because they thought we would enjoy it. I highly doubt there are truly too many people in your life that would want you to be burdened by a gift or an heirloom. Let it go!

I hope some of these tips were helpful for you. I will probably have to print this one out and post it on my fridge while I continue to declutter. These are the big issues I struggle with and have to remind myself of the end goal.

Stuff is just stuff. Memories and the time you spend with loved ones is what really matters! :)