How to Stop Clutter Before It Begins

So, you have just gone through all of your stuff and decluttered your home. Congratulations on a job well done! But how come it seems that clutter has a way of coming back after we’ve just purged it? And before you know it, you’re decluttering your home again, one closet at a time. How do we stop clutter before it begins (or re-accumulate)? Here are a couple of tips and habits you might want to try to keep your home clutter-free:

• Sue Bollinger of Tidy Up with Sue says it well – “Don’t put it down; put it away.” Instead of putting down stuff on your counter or on some random table, put it in its proper storage.
• Be intentional with your purchases. Before you even buy something, have a list of what you need to buy and plan on where to store your purchase in your home. Also, have a good think if you really need (or love) something or not. Personally, I really don’t go to shops (physical or online) unless there is a need to.
• Unsubscribe to mailing lists and paper newsletters. Either you read it and get tempted to buy unnecessary things, or you won’t read it and you’ll have paper clutter.
• Don’t accept freebies if you know that you won’t use it.

If I’d sum it up into one advice, it would be “be vigilant of what goes into your home.” Your home and storage space is prime real estate – make sure whatever goes in there deserves to be there. Good luck! 👍