Do you ever get caught in the vicious clutter-creating cycle that goes something like this:
- You buy something you really don’t need and probably won’t use
- You tell yourself it was worth it because it was on sale
- You have no idea where to put it when you get it home/it gets delivered…
- …so it sits in a bag/box/corner where it’s joined by more “bargains”
- And now you won’t get rid of it because you paid good money for it
Sound familiar? I see this regularly when working in clients’ homes, so you’re not alone.
How can you break the cycle?
- Before making ANY purchase – especially an impulsive one, ask yourself:
- Do I need it?
- Will I use it?
- Where will it live when I get it home?
- If there are certain stores (brick and mortar OR online!) you can’t resist, proclaim a 30-day moratorium on visiting them. Break that habit of impulse buying!
- Take things out of the shopping bags/open delivered packages. It’s too easy to ignore something you can’t see.
- Create one designated area for pre-purchased gifts and “shop the house” when an occasion arises.
- Donate new/unused items to non-profit organizations for their fund-raising gift basket raffles.
Trust me when I say that retail therapy rarely produces long-lasting, positive results.
Good stuff Jamie! Too often we purchase things without realizing that someday we will have to rid ourselves of it…and that is really hard for most of us. Nip it in the bud and think through the purchase fully.
Thanks, Amy Jo. I see it so often, it feels like it’s an epidemic of sorts.