Here are 10 easy ways to own less stuff. We started to declutter and become more minimal back in 2017 and it all boils down to owning less stuff.
Over the last few years, I have implemented a lot of easy ways to simplify my life and avoid unnecessary impulse purchases.
Owning less doesn’t need to be time-consuming or difficult. Start slow and over time you will see results!
10 Easy Ways to Own Less:
Schedule Decluttering
As I go through my home doing my daily chores and life I look for things I no longer need or want. This is the easiest way to declutter.
If I am changing out my clothes for a different season I take a second to make sure I still want everything.
When I tidy up my desk I look for items I never use or don’t think I will use in the future.
But before I got into the groove of decluttering all the time I scheduled time to declutter.
I would jot down a note on my calendar every few weeks to remind myself to keep up with the decluttering. It is surprising how fast things accumulate when you stop decluttering.
Donate/Sell
A great way to own less is to find a good place to donate your secondhand items. I found a local secondhand store that uses the proceeds for a good cause.
This alone makes me more likely to donate more and more often.
If you have items that might be worth something it’s a good idea to figure out how to sell them online. Online is usually the best way to get the most for your stuff.
Taking a little time and figuring out how to sell something it will make the listing process faster and easier. Making you more likely to want to get rid of your extra stuff.
Embrace the Space
Embracing the space is something I had to accept when trying to become more minimal. I was used to every counter having stuff on it.
Every surface and corner needed something. All walls needed furniture. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this, but if you are looking to own less it can take some getting used to.
Look At Your Home Differently
I think we tend to get clutter blindness. We live in a space for a while and we stop seeing all the clutter and extra stuff.
Imagine if you will when you walk into someone else’s house and you see a super cluttered space. What is the first thing we think, wow there is a lot of stuff in here.
Once in a while, I try to imagine my home as if it’s someone else’s home. What would I change? Would I get rid of stuff or move things around?
This is a great way to find things to declutter.
One In One Out
There are a lot of amazing ways to stay clutter-free. One tip is for every item you buy you declutter something in its place.
Another idea is the quarantine box or the wait-and-see box. Essentially you pack up the things that you don’t think you want anymore and store them away. If in 6 months you don’t find yourself wanting these items then you declutter them.
Then there are decluttering games! This can be a lot of fun. Try to find a certain amount of things each day or week. I love to time myself and see how much I can find in 30 minutes.
How Do I Feel?
Ask the question How does this item make me feel? The popular Kon Mari decluttering process has us ask “Does this spark joy”? I could never understand this question, but I can understand how it makes me feel.
For instance, is this item (fill in the blank) annoying, do I always have to pick it up and repeatedly put it away? If it’s clothing do I feel good wearing it?
This is a great way to find more to declutter.
Make a List
Before you go shopping make a list of the items you want to buy. Put this list in a drawer to come back to in a day or week.
In other words, don’t rush out and buy something the first time it pops into your head. Take a little time to think about it and see if you still think you need it in a week.
Most of the time I put my list away and I completely forget that I even wanted anything!
Shop Your Home
When I want to redo a certain area of my home I always shop my own home. 9 times out of 10 I can find something I thought I needed to buy.
Moving furniture around and repurposing containers is a great way to save money and own less.
Look for the Obvious
Decluttering doesn’t need to be hard and overwhelming. Start slow and look for the obvious. Think of duplicate items, broken things, trash, and decor you no longer like.
A lot of the time we see shows where people are making these huge decluttering transformations, but this can be very overwhelming.
Slow and steady decluttering can also get you started on your clutter-free journey. Digging deeper over time and chipping away at all the things we don’t need.
Borrow Things
To truly own less you might have to borrow or rent things. There may come a day when you want to throw a party and you won’t have enough chairs or tables. But why go out and buy all these things and then store them for that once-a-year occasion?
This is when borrowing or renting comes in handy.
I also like to use local little libraries and the city library so we don’t need to own books. We can just switch them out all the time.
There are buy-nothing Facebook groups and Facebook marketplace where you can find the one-off thing you need for a short time and then relist it for free for the next person.
I know some people are against borrowing things, but for once in a while things I think we need to get back into the habit of sharing. This will save everyone money and we won’t have to store as much stuff.
I hope these 10 ways to own less stuff have helped you to declutter more.
Watch How I Own Less:
Read More About Decluttering:
Before and After Decluttering Photos
10 Things to Declutter For Summer
The Best Decluttering Methods for Your Home
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Thank you for sharing these insightful ways to begin or continue working on decluttering.
Thank you! This is really helpful honestly, we just moved and it became so clear to me just how much stuff we have in our house.. And now we have to unpack it. I really wish we would have just dumped half of our things into our dumpster rental when we moved, ha! Anyway, thank you for the tips.