Dealing with Creeping Junk Syndrome

We have all done it; spending ages trying to find something we know we own only to have to give up because we have so much junk we simply can’t find what we are looking for. These days most people live in a home surrounded by things they rarely, or never, use.

You start a new hobby and lose interest after a few months. At that point, you should throw away or sell the paraphernalia associated with that hobby or pastime, but who does that? After all, that candle making kit or electric keyboard might come in handy. With thiskind of thinking, we put it all in a bag or box and put it in the back of the cupboard. Before you know it, your ‘must have’ cupboard is overflowing andthere is no room for the roller blades that you paid £50 for, and used once. Only at that point do you realise that your stuff has taken over, and that your home has a bad case of creeping junk.

How to De-clutter
When that happens it is time to de-clutter, not just throw the roller blades into the back of your other half’s wardrobe. If you do that within a few months, you will not be able to close the door properly on that cupboard either.

The best thing to do is to have a regular clear out. I de-clutter one cupboard at a time and aim to deal with one per month, usually on the first Saturday of the month. It sounds odd to schedule a clear out, but if I do not do that I just keep on putting it off.

When I go through the cupboard, I end up with several piles. The first pile is things I use that belong elsewhere and items to go back in the cupboard I am cleaning out.

If I have not used something for a while, I will do one of two things. Those items I know I definitely do not want go in a pile to be disposed of, and those things I am not sure about go into a separate bin bag. That ‘not sure’ bag goes in the garage, where it stays for two months. Anything that is still in the bag after the two months gets disposed of.

How to Dispose of Unwanted Items
I used to skip everything, but these days I sell most of the items I do not want and give away anything I do  not succeed in selling. It is really easy to sell things online for free, and listing most items can be done whilst watching the TV or during your lunch break. I like to do it all in one go and do it at home with the stuff close to hand, but my husband mostly looks for a buyer, or lists his stuff for sale using smart phone apps during his daily commute.

The two main ways to sell your stuff online without paying and commission or listing fees are classified sites and selling to traders. You can sell most things using these two methods. If you have never tried it consider giving it a go, you will be surprised how easy it is to generate extra cash this way.