Sick of Clutter? Here Are 6 Ways to Stop Bringing Clutter Into Your Home!

Sure, you can repeatedly declutter your home or go through the traditional spring cleaning, but wouldn’t it be so much easier if you just didn’t have the clutter taking over in the first place? If you’re like me and you’d rather just nip this thing in the bud before it’s even a problem then let’s talk. Here are 6 super simple things that we have done to be more proactive when it comes to clutter.

Notice how much stuff already sits

The first thing I think everyone needs to do is get brutally honest with themselves about how much clutter is already just sitting around serving no purpose.

You know those certain things that you bought and convinced yourself you just have to have? Not things like a new car because yours is about to break down. I mean things more like those new throw pillows, that gorgeous mirror or that fluffy blanket.

Whatever your vice might be, be honest for a minute about the things that are just sitting around serving no purpose right now.

Remember this the next time you feel tempted to get the next best thing.

Clean house before holidays and birthdays

I love getting proactive before the holidays, especially after having kids. Christmas and birthdays are always a time of year where we are flooded with additional clutter that our family and friends wrap up for us.

As much as we love the fun of opening presents, the overwhelm of all the stuff piled on from Christmas plus previous Christmases got to be a little too much.

And let’s be honest, can you even remember what you got last Christmas? If not, that’s because it didn’t bring lasting joy.

Clearing through the clutter before the holidays hit is the best way to get ahead of clutter piled on clutter.

Add up your room

Ok, we’ve looked at the items that maybe aren’t serving the amazing purpose you thought that they would, but have you ever taken the time to add up the cost of your unused items?

Take a minute, look around and take a second to calculate the money you’ve spent on the items around you?

Would that money have been better served in a different area of your life? Like saving for a vacation?

Becoming aware of these things isn’t meant to shame you, it’s meant to remind you to slow down before you make your next purchase. It’s also good to be aware of sales tactics that stores use to encourage you to spend more.

Attach your money to a bigger life goal

The best thing you can do to avoid over-spending temptation is to attach your money to a bigger life goal. When our financial goals are connected to something more aligned with our biggest life goals, we get way more intentional around our spending habits.

If you have a financial goal whether it is to pay off debt, earn more money or save more money make sure you attach that goal to a life goal of yours.

For example, if you want to pay off debt attach your reason why to something like, “I want to pay off debt so…”

• We can take more family vacations
• I can afford to start that business
• Giving more is something we can start doing

When you attach your money to a larger life goal, you are less likely to spend on random items that will eventually become clutter in your home.

Start using cash or Cash App

If you struggle with over-swiping, a good way to avoid bringing in too much clutter (and totally breaking your budget) is to start using a cash-based spending plan.

However, if you aren’t great with cash (cuz I know I’m not always perfect at it), I recommend looking into using the Cash App instead.

The Cash App works similarly to Venmo where people can transfer you money quickly and easily. However, you also have the option to get a Cash App debit card (that is super sleek) sent to you. You can then pre-load your debit card every month.

So, if you tend to over-spend on home decor, you can pre-load your Cash App card with a designated amount so you aren’t tempted to over-shop. Check out the Cash App or learn more about using gift cards for budgeting.

Make online spending hard to do

Maybe you struggle with cash, or perhaps online spending is your clutter accumulator of choice. If so, it’s time to make it super hard to spend money online.

That means:

• Removing saved credit card information
• Avoiding “one-touch” purchase capabilities
• Unsubscribing from promotional emails
• Quit Amazon Prime (gasp)

If this is an area you struggle in, pay attention, and take action to slow down. Like I said with cash, not only can change your shopping habits help slow down the accumulation of clutter, but it can also help improve your financial plans!

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