The One Year Rule

There is something special about a new year.  It's a great time to set goals, make adjustments, and start fresh.  One of the best ways to start the new year is by decluttering. 

Decluttering is a made up word that simply means getting rid of things you don't need.  As Americans that live in a consumer driven society, we have a huge problem with cluttering our lives with stuff.  Popular TV shows like Hoarders, American Pickers, Storage Wars, and Auction Hunters are perfect examples of how we Americans like to collect stuff.  

Having moved 5 times in the last 6 years, my wife and I have grown to hate clutter.  The more we move, the more stuff we get rid of.  After a while, you get tired of moving stuff you don't use on a regular basis. So we decided to implement the 1 year rule.

The 1 year rule simply states that if something did not get used in the past year, get rid of it.  Obviously you do not need it, or you would have used it sometime within the year.  

This goes with clothes, shoes, purses, accessories, gadgets, kitchenware, food, and toys anything else you did not use this past year.  If you did not wear it, use it, eat it, or play with it for the past 365 days, let someone else get some use out of it.

What do I do with the stuff I didn't use this year and don't need anymore?  You have 3 options:

Give it away.  Goodwill, Salvation Army, local churches, donation boxes, or even giving to friends and family.  The goals isn't to waste stuff.  It is to put it to good use, something you are not doing because you are using something else.  Often times you can get an itemized deduction on your taxes if you so desire. 

Sell it.  Have a garage sale, put it on Craigslist or Ebay, or take it to your local consignment shop.  Use the money to take a mini vacation, pay off debt, set up a savings account, or give to your favorite charity or organization.  Don't use it to buy more stuff!!

Trash it!  Let's be honest.  Some stuff you just need to throw away.  Nobody wants the underwear and socks from the back of the drawer or the broken item that you haven't gotten around to fixing.  Do yourself a favor and just throw it away.

New Years is a great time to declutter.  You have to make room in your closet, kitchen, and garage for the new stuff you got for Christmas.  As you do, quickly go through each space and set aside each item that did not get used this past year.

Save Time - You'll have to go through less stuff to find what you're looking for.

Save/Make Money - You'll make money if you decide to sell some stuff.  You'll save money if you sell enough stuff to get rid of your storage unit.

Feel Better - From my experience, there is something freeing about getting rid of stuff you don't need. It makes me feel less reliant on stuff and makes me feel less claustrophobic.

There really isn't a downside.

What are you waiting on?  Start decluttering!

*(There are always some exceptions such as lawn & garden equipment, tools, family heirlooms, and collectors items that gain value over time.  But don't make too many exceptions.)*