Clutter-Buster: Act Like You're Moving
Say you had to uproot and relocate. What would you take with you? You don't actually have to pack anything up -- just set aside the few things that you love and use and see what's left over. "Chances are, you use only 20 percent of your stuff regularly," says Sally Allen, owner of A Place for Everything, an organizing service in Golden, Colorado. Try this with your cookbooks: Pull out the ones that are tenderly tattered due to years of use, then look at the ones still on the shelf. Ask yourself if you would pay someone to haul away those you've been keeping because they were gifts or because you felt ambitious when you bought them
(From now on, Thai food every Tuesday night!). If not, sell them to a used-book store or donate them.
Toss-It Tips
Envision your home as a prospective buyer might: Uncluttered spaces make the best first impression. They're also a lot easier to keep clean and dust-free.
Imagine the potential buyer (or worse, a relative) going through your closets or drawers. What would you not want him or her to see?
Buy containers and baskets only after you've decided what to keep. This way you'll have a much better sense of the kind of storage you need.
Why It Works
You don't have to get rid of things you love or need -- you just have to determine what those things are.
If you've ever packed and paid for a move, the motivation for paring down your possessions will be all too clear.
Clutter-Buster: Put Apples with Apples, Oranges With Oranges
To get an idea of what you own, group like things together. Use your utensil drawer as a model. In it you have forks, knives, and spoons, all in their own slots, and you know there are 12 of each. Can the same be said of your cooking tools? How many wooden spoons do you have? Put all your slotted spoons, spatulas, and pizza cutters in separate piles and toss the ones you don't need. Then group related items and give them their own labeled drawers: "Stovetop Supplies," "Baking Supplies," "Specialty Items." "Every shelf and drawer in your home should have a specific theme, just like the typical sock or utensil drawer," says Kim Cosentino, owner of the De-Clutter Box, an organizing company in Westmont, Illinois.
Toss-It Tips
Don't limit your search for similar items to just one room. Look all over the house for things like scissors, stamps, and batteries, and put them in one place.
If you have two things that serve the same function, keep the newer or better one and chuck the other.
Start with a clean surface or drawer, then put back only the things you use.
Why It Works
Once you get everything in one category together, you can quickly assess what you own -- and what you own too much of.
If you know what you have and where it is, you won't waste money buying duplicates (think hair elastics).
If an item resists classification, it is easier to deem it unworthy.
Tip 2: Assess Your Rooms>
