7 Things to Declutter to Get More Time in Your Day

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…so often people believe that a minimalist lifestyle is all about living with less stuff. In reality, practicing minimalism can be about making more space for whatever you value the most in your life. For me, it’s about what the stuff is taking away from me every day. Having a house filled with clutter can repeatedly take away time, money, and a more simple way of living. That being said, let’s break down some ideas for decluttering so you can create more time in your daily schedule.

*This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission on recommendations at no additional cost to you.

Decluttering Your Wardrobe

If you have ever been that person who is running late for your day, but still can’t seem to find anything in your closet to wear, there is a good chance you are in need of a decluttered wardrobe!

Often times our first thought when we feel like we have, nothing to wear is that we need to buy more clothing. In reality, the exact opposite is usually true. The overwhelming amount of decisions we face doesn’t make decision making it easier, it makes it much more difficult. This is known as the Paradox of Choice.

That is why finding ways to downsize and minimize the number of outfits in our closet can be incredibly helpful in making our first decisions of the day much easier, therefore saving us time. Read: How to Find Your Minimalist Uniform.

Decluttering Bathroom Products

You’d be surprised at the time and stress that you can save by simply going through your bathroom cabinet and eliminating any additional clutter you might be carting around.

Quick bathroom declutters:

• Expired products like sunscreens and lotion
• Outdated makeup
• Condense or eliminate products that are 80% gone
• Any unused products

Take 15 minutes today to clear through your bathroom products, make a note of the stuff you use the most and make a point to only allowing those items to be re-purchased when they have run out.

Simplifying your bathroom routine will also help to simplify and save time during your morning getting ready process. Read: 5 Ways to Create a Less Waste Minimalist Bathroom

Decluttered Kitchen Counters

I am a big believer in clearing through kitchen clutter especially because this is such a high traffic area. If you are pushing things around and picking items up trying to get yourself out the door in the morning, or trying to hustle through dinnertime before shuffling off to kid’s sports, why not consider clearing some of the clutter from your counters?

Of course, before you can thoroughly tackle kitchen counter clutter, it’s a good idea to start by eliminating excess in your kitchen cabinets. Read: Small Kitchen Storage and Organization.

Quick Cabinet Decluttering:

• Get rid of any doubles you have (soup ladles, spatulas etc)
• Sell fancy stuff you don’t use (salad spinner, food processor, juicer)
• Try having one pan and one pot in each size
• Clear out any old or expired food products

Decluttered Coat Closet

Wouldn’t it be amazing if your coat closet looked like all of those make-believe closets on Pinterest? You know, one single white jacket, with red rain boots and a matching purse? Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. But, what if you could at least make it a little simpler?

There is nothing more frustrating than quickly opening the closet, grabbing your coat and then having to fight to get it out while simultaneously knocking other coats onto the ground

If this is an area of “extra stuffing” for you, consider doing a Coat Closet Capsule!

What is a Coat Closet Capsule?

Consider creating a capsule wardrobe for your front closet especially if you are someone who lives in a multiple season area like we do (Minnesota).

When you want to create more space and easier access during the spring and summer months, consider storing away your winter belongings.

What to put in a Winter Coat Closet Capsule:

• Winter jackets
• Stocking hats
• Mittens
• Boots
• Snow Pants

What to put in a Spring/Summer Coat Closet Capsule:

• Spring Jackets
• Rain Boots
• Umbrellas

Trying to create a closet that is function for what you will need during each season can make your space much easier to manage and avoid the chaos of lost gloves, tumbling coats, and sloshy boots.

$1 Car Garbage System

Let’s face it, no matter who you are, your car can accumulate garbage and random junk seemingly within minutes of stepping in it at the beginning of the day. This goes double if you have kids to haul around. Instead of letting it all this clutter pile up, and having to carve hours out of your weekend to clear through it, why not consider “investing in” a $1 garbage bin from the Dollar Store.

We have had one of these in our car for the last few years and it has been a life (and time) saver! In fact, it’s one of the things people notice first when hopping into our car. Before extra garbage has a chance to accumulate, we toss it into the bin.

Bonus Reads You’ll Love:

• 3 Times a Year to Declutter with Kids
• The 5 Second Rule for Wardrobe Decluttering
• 80+ Ways to Declutter Your Home and Life Today

Decluttered Streaming Services

If you are like most families, there is a good chance that you have Hulu, Disney+, Netfilx, Amazon, and other streaming services. Not only are you sending money out the door to pay for these each month, but chances are, you are spending more time in front of the TV as well.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with lounging around in your comfiest clothes and enjoying some time tuning out with your favorite shows.

However, having so many services can add to that problem with The Paradox of Choice.

Making the choice to opt for one steaming service at a time can help you simplify your decision making and prevent you from over-scrolling trying to decide what to watch next.

Decluttering Your Grocery List

My family and I are really weird in the sense that we tend to head to Costco for our grocery hauls in order to simplify our cooking routine.

I used to be one of those moms who would get recipe inspiration by browsing Pinterest. This usually left me with 4 new recipes to try that required a whole slew of varying ingredients.

By planning meals ahead of time, buying in bulk, and keeping staple go-to meals, I am able to use fewer ingredients, reduce my cooking time, and make fewer meals throughout the week.

How to Declutter Your Grocery List

• Scan your pantry before you shop
• Plan meals based off what you already have
• Focus on one meat and one vegetable per week
• Make meals that create leftovers
• Opt for time-friendly foods like microwavable rice

Keep a Donate Bin on Hand

Let’s face it, as much as I love talking about all things decluttering, the truth is, that taking the time and effort to declutter can be a really time consuming process. Instead, by keeping a donate bin on hand, it makes it easy for you and family members to add items as you go.

If you have a basket located in a common room of the house where it isn’t too obvious, people can easily pass by the bin and add to it when they come across an item they are ready to declutter.

This prevents you from having to rally the entire family together in order to do a massive purge/declutter.

Pin this!