To be clear, these are recommendations. Keep the things you actually use and will use. Anything that is kept because it personifies you, because you've had it for the longest time, or because you might use it someday... GET RID OF IT.
I'm pretty confident about this because I used to be a major hoarder. In fact, I bought 20 pcs of 10L Orocans before just to store items that I thought I might be able to use. Guess what? I never got to use them. They were just sitting there for years and years, taking up space and making me feel cramped and stressed.
So from one hoarder to another, here is my list of things you need to get rid of for 2019. I promise you that this is doable.
1. Broken things
Unless it's the last piece of item from someone whom you truly treasure, if it's broken, put it in the trash. Sentimental value or not, there are other things that you can use to remember someone by.
2. Clothes that no longer fit
Isn't retro in nowadays? Yes, it is but it doesn't mean that you should keep every single piece of clothing you owned back in the day. If you must, keep one or two that are really a classic and can be passed on to the next generation but do not keep everything.
Donate. Sell. Turn it into something else and gift to someone.
3. Anything expired
When you have so many toiletries or canned goods, it's easy to miss out on the expiry date. This is something that you need to be careful of especially if you have children at home. When I did the decluttering of my Mom's condiments, she had a condiment that expired 6 years ago. SIX YEARS AGO.
4. Tumblers, Bottles, Glasses
We all think that we'd get to use the tumblers, or that our child will need one more bottle for their water. They don't. Donate it to someone else who can actually use it.
I used to have so many tumblers but this Christmas, I actually gave a lot of them away to the staff of a coffee shop near my home and they were truly happy. It felt nice to be able to just give it away to people who can't afford them but need it.
5. Books and Magazines
I had 600+ books. I had over 2000+ notebooks. FOR Real. I had to cut down my books to the ones that I really love and can read over and over again. From 600+, I went down to 50 books.
As for the notebook, I did the same thing. I chose the ones that have real sentimental value and then kept the ones that I really love then gave away everything else to charity and schools.
6. Too much of anything
If you have more than 10 pieces of anything, as long as it's not cutlery, you have too much of something. It's time to get rid of things.
Seriously.
You don't need to have so much of anything.
I should also tell that to myself.
7. Digital Files
One of the things that take up a lot of our time because we sort through so many files on our laptop, phone, and hard drive. Delete the ones you don't need anymore. Take out those annoying songs that you do not want to listen to. Delete the eBooks you will never read.
8. Sort through your email
I was one of those persons who had over 5000 emails in my inbox until I took the plunge and deleted 4900+ of my emails. Now, I make it a point to cleanse my email once a month since I get so many unnecessary emails.
It keeps me feeling better and not so stressed. When I open my emails now and see that there are less than 100 emails, I feel calm. 5000 vs 100, can you feel the difference?
9. Old oil and burnt candles
If it smells funky or is already burnt, throw it out. For the candles, let it burn while you are decluttering and when it's all out, throw it out.
10. Old cords
Maybe there will be something that I can use it on? Maybe this. Maybe that. No. Throw it out.
11. Worn out clothing and towels that have holes
No one wants to see a neckline that's all stretched out or jogging pants that have holes in it. Towels are also supposed to dry our body but how can it do that if there are holes on it?
12. Paper trail
This means old receipts that are over a year old (except for the warranty that is still valid) as well as old manuals, paperwork, memos, junk mail, and scratch paper that have writings on it ... these all need to go. Old coupons and expired gcs also need to go. That letter from your ex, throw it in the trash.
13. Worn out shoes and shoes that do not fit perfectly.
I have over 50 pairs of shoes but only wear around 10 of them. If you are like me, it's time to start donating and giving away the other pairs of shoes that are still almost new. For the ones that are worn out already, it's time to chuck it out.
14. Toiletries that have expired or you don't like.
Sometimes, you buy something because it's cute or smells good but when you use it, it's a huge fail. You could be allergic or it could be that it just doesn't work for your skin type or hair. However, you still keep it because it's cute or what not.
DONATE it or THROW it away.
15. Chipped dinnerware and glassware
The moment it gets chipped or broken, it's out of your house. No excuses. Besides, it's bad feng shui.
16. Items that are missing a piece
If a cup lost it's cover, if a bottle no longer has it's cap, if a puzzle is missing a piece, if a board game has lost it's pieces, then it's time to let it go. JUST LET GO.
17. Make up
Makeup has expiry dates. So yes, as much as you want to keep all of the makeup, you can't. USE IT OR LOSE IT. If you can't use it, donate it, share it, or give it away.
18. Home decor
You don't need to go overboard with decoration. Keep the ones that still look great but put it in container boxes then let go of the ones that are tainted, old, worn out, and just plain unusable.
19. Anything that does not make you happy
Sometimes, we keep things simply because it was expensive when we got it, it was given and it cost a lot, or worse, it was handed down but it just stresses you. If this is the case, donate it to someone who actually wants it or give it to charity.
Do not feel guilty. It's your life. Keep the things that make you happy.
This is our garage. We used to have way more than this. Truthfully, this was the cleanest and most minimal our garage has been in 6 years. I've cleaned this garage 6x and have gotten rid of over 50 trash bags worth of clutter.
50 bags.
So if I can do it, you can do it too!
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Hi! Let's all try to add more positivity in this world and adhere to the saying, "if you don't have anything nice to say, keep silent."
Showering you with unicorn poop so you'd always stay magical! Heart heart!