Happy Frugal Friday!
On January 1, I wrote about our decluttering goal (2,024 items in 2024).
Today I want to share how we have been working to eliminate clutter in the first place. While we are in no way minimalists or trying to have "only"a certain amount of items in our home the biggest goals for me have been: easy and purposeful.
First of all, I want, deeply desire, a neat and tidy home. The best way I have found to do that, for our family, is to simply have less. Fewer toys, clothes, kitchen items, etc means we have less in general to pick up. Each day we do a 20 Minute Tidy and over the last few years we've really worked our way down to a Daily 8 Minute tidy. It does help that the kids are older and more efficient in their work but it also makes it easier to have less!
I also want to be purposeful, mindful about using the resources God had given us. If we spent most of our money on stuff, is that furthering God's kingdom? Is it sharing the love of Christ for others? Or is it storing up treasures earthside? Also, if we have things that we aren't using...sharing them CAN be a way of sharing God's love with others.
7 Simple Ways We've Eliminated Clutter
1. We sort mail immediately. We read and file important items, reply immediately to bills or letters, and we recycle the rest. We don't stack mail or keep it in files. We let it go.
2. I don't aimlessly shop after holiday sales. In the past, I would hit up stores the day after a holiday for napkins, plates, party favors, decor to hold back for the next year. More often than not we'd never even use those items. Now, I keep a list of what we actually need and also shop those sales if I truly need a specific item like tape or wrapping paper.
3. I stopped participating in many gift exchanges. I have found, especially as I got into my 30s, that between church, friends, homeschool groups, and work that I was invited to more and more gift exchanges for the holidays. Everything from giftcard swap, handmade items, ornaments, to $15 and under. Especially after COVID and with working remotely, many of these were on Zoom. I finally realized it was was really eating into our own holiday spending budget and I rarely if ever got an item that really added value to my life. I started saying "no" and you know what? Not a single person minded!
4. I have clear storage solutions for holiday decor. One large tote holds our Christmas items and it goes in a closet with the ornament totes. In our china cabinet, I have two little cabinets for all of the rest of decor for the year. Once those get full, I choose not to add more until I have sorted and cleaned out others. I really enjoy simple holiday decor and we really only have items we've thrifted together or gotten from family members, I personally don't want to load up on items from box stores to cover every surface. It means I never get that "Ah! There's stuff everywhere!" feeling during the holidays.
5. We don't buy our kids vacation souvenirs. Thanks to dance competitions, family trips, and my job as a vacation planner, we travel quite a bit. We have always chosen to not buy our kids souvenirs. They may choose to spend their own money on items but we don't generally buy any. We typically buy each kid a shirt, or a hat for Owen, on one trip a year. If we see an item is something they really desire, we will often have one of us get it and we hold it back for a birthday or Christmas gift. We did this at Christmas with a Elvis Pink Cadillac magnet for Owen. He was thrilled! "How did you get this to surprise me?!" By having the kids spend their own money, they really weigh the options and only bring items home that they love.
6. I keep a bag in the laundry room for items that we've outgrown or that we are finished with. Items that I save back for the kids' sale go to that tote and other items fill the bag. When the bag is full, we drive and donate it that week. It helps to simply get things out in a timely fashion.
7. We ask for, and gift, experiences. Many years my parents gave us zoo and museum passes for Christmas. These were awesome gifts that were well used and enjoyed! Our kids also love getting to go on an eat-out meal or special date with family members. We try to gift the kids experiences for their birthday and Christmas as well. We do wrap up a small ticket or item so they have the fun of opening something and then we move on to the fun!
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