Decluttering Hacks

“Lead me not into temptation….Oh who am I kidding, follow me, I know a shortcut.”

-Author Unknown

April 2024

“A stitch in time saves nine.”

This old proverb means that if you sort out a problem immediately it may save a lot of extra work later.

I’m thinking about short cuts and hacks to getting organized and decluttered. If we can prevent clutter from starting, that sounds like a really great short cut – right?

Here are some ideas to get your decluttering enzymes going:

1. When you are tempted to buy the latest hot selling book, first go to Libby and order a digital sample OR go to Amazon and order a FREE SAMPLE to see if you even like what you are reading. And – there’s a chance that you may not even have time to read the sample which will save you time, money and space.
2. Consider going on line with your investment company(s). Monthly investment statements, proxy voting paperwork, investment brochures can really cause a lot of accumulated paperwork. Some express concerns about the safety of online accounts, but with all the horror stories about missing mail, it may be safer to stick to online accounts. If you can’t make the change, at least consider shredding decades of old statements that may be filling up your filing cabinets, drawers, floors and closets.
3. Load up your car OR have a hauler come and take away all your old electronics (printers, computers, cell phones). Why wait until it’s time to sell your house and pay thousands of dollars in hauling costs? If you are worried about hard drives of old computers, go to Staples and ask them to destroy what needs to be destroyed – you may have to pay for that service but the actual recycling is free.
4. If you have old cans of food and other expired food, load it up the night before trash night and get it out now. Why wait until it’s rotted or decomposed – do it this week and gift yourself new space in your cupboards or pantry.
5. Gather up some broken jewelry – gold and sterling silver – and go to 2-3 local jewelers to see who will offer you the best deal. Cash back on the spot – that’s a shortcut that can pay off well!

Give yourself a treat and pick one item and see how you do this week. You will not regret it!

Happy Decluttering to all!

Declutter Challenge Club – Join Today!

We are a small and cozy community where you can get a healthy dose of support, understanding, guidance and laughter, too. The Declutter Club will be open until the end of this year so if you’ve been thinking about joining, NOW is the time. The Declutter Club is a cost effective way to deal with your ‘stuff’ in a fun and welcoming setting. The daily emails are short and sweet and the twice monthly Zoom calls are on Monday evenings at 7:00 pm for an hour. Each Zoom call features a topic of the evening, followed by discussion, commitments for those craving accountability and BYOC (Bring your own clutter) where everyone works on a stack of papers or photos or whatever they want. Membership is open to all, you can start today or whenever you want. Would love to see you there! Membership includes the daily emails and the Zoom calls. Remember, the Declutter Club will be open until the end of 2024, so sign up now! If you’re ready to join the Club, sign up HERE.  Please email me if you have any questions or need additional information.

 

---

“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move… more enjoyably, faster and easier. We specialize in senior moves and helping families find new homes for the things they no longer have room to keep. We can also take care of clearing out homes that need to be listed quickly for resale. Contact me to schedule an appointment.