Keeping Up With Clutter

Is your clutter overwhelming you? It seems like it gets out of hand overnight but in reality takes months, even years to get to the state your house was/is in. Before you just go throwing everything out take a look inside and figure out how/why you got into this mess in the first place. You need to deal with the root cause to make sure you don't end up with a full house again!

Honesty:
Why do you hoard?
Do you buy things to keep up with the Jones's?
Do you shop for recreation or stress-relief?
Are you a bargain hunter who loves to bring home every treasure?

Why:
Why did you let yourself begin these bad habits in the first place?
What triggered it?

Most of us learn to handle our money and finances from our parents, whether we liked their method or not.
Hoarding tendencies date back in my family. My grandma, my mom, me.

Why?

A poverty mindset. I need to keep this just in case I need it, and I need to buy this just in case I can't afford it when I need it. 
I've been thrift store shopping for enough years to know that doesn't work. In the long run you spend more money on what you don't need used than you would on purchasing something you do need new. 
I remember as a child getting kits of beads and loving them so much that I couldn't use them because I was afraid if I used them we wouldn't be able to buy more. Sometimes I would use the ones that I liked, but never the ones I really loved and valued.
Shopping with my mom, we would buy lots of little things we liked, spending hundreds of dollars at value village. But we would never save up for something we really wanted.

Once you recognize why your house is/was as bad as it is you can finally deal with the issues, and recognize them for what they are.

For example to myself I can say, logically, the amount of money I've wasted on buying all those little knick knacks, decorations, clothes, kitchen supplies over the years really adds up and I would've rather spent that money on a few things I LOVE instead of a house full of things I LIKE.

I've narrowed down my decorations to only my absolute favorites. Heirlooms and ones that bring me joy and inspiration. Everything else is just clutter! You will most likely be surprised at the decorations you don't care about even if you think they look pretty.
Parting with items you LIKE may be difficult but the sense of freedom and release you feel when they are gone is second to none. And knowing that you are on your way to a calm, clutter free house? Amazing :)

Please read: Outsmarting your Inner Hoarder at Minimum for some great inspiration to let go!