Once I realized that most of my “organizing” and “stuff management” frustrations was linked to the AMOUNT that came IN my home, I worked to minimize that amount. It’s harder to maintain systems and stay on top of them when we don’t simplify the volume. Obviously, with 3 kids, we still have plenty that comes in, but the following efforts have helped so much!
Unsubscribe
This works for snail mail + digitally. Occasionally I’ll choose one piece of snail mail and call the company and request to be removed from the mailing list. You can search your email for the word “unsubscribe” and click the link often at the bottom of email newsletters and marketing messages to click “unsubscribe”.
Refuse “Freebies”
We have access to more freebies than we might realize - a festival, a work conference, a race, kids events, community gatherings. Once I purposefully considered this, we have worked to decline items we won’t use or don’t need. I’ve encouraged my hubby not to bring home items from conferences, and we have even declined race tote bags because we already had plenty. The kid stuff is trickier, but for now I view it as an opportunity to build awareness with my kids rather than not allow them to accept the items. And, they can often be repurposed or donated for teacher’s treasure boxes or community Easter egg hunts and such.
Decline receipts
Whenever possible I decline receipts (i.e. at the coffee shop, gas station). It’s unnecessary paper and I already KNOW what I purchased at those locations when I see it on my bank statement.
Less Shopping
Yes. It’s true. Avoiding trips to the store (or certain stores where I am tempted to buy “cute” items that I don’t really need and later stress me out because I have to clean it, store it, etc) causes me to be more intentional when I DO need something. Making a list is important.
Set a Goal
This is fun to try at the start of the new year, or when you are incentivized to save for something special like a trip. Last year we working on paying off debt and saving for a couple of big trips. We chose to not buy new clothes or shoes, kitchen items, or books for the entire year. We didn’t’ 100% make it, but I know it helped us save a lot of money and time processing new things coming into the house.
Don’t replace it
When we weren’t bringing new things in last year, we also tested out NOT replacing items when they broke. We wanted to see if we could live without it or make do with something else. We feel like we CAN replace things we know we will use a lot, but it has been a good exercise in patience to flex our “make it work” muscle.
Make a List
We certainly need things, but keeping a list on my phone for when I’m already out running errands keeps me from making additional trips for just one thing. This is also a helpful tactic for birthdays and holidays when family members ask for gift ideas. Sharing a list (we create Wish Lists for each family member on Amazon) guides the shopping of interested family members towards items the kids are hoping for and minimizes duplicates.
All of these recommendations are not about hard and fast rules, but intentionality, paying attention and slowly shifting our habits.