From: 23x11.5c@gmail.com   
      
   4 Steps to Get Rid of Hoarding Habits and Save Money   
   by ASHLEY ENERIZ   
      
      
      
   When my in-laws moved to a different state, the real challenge came when we   
   cleaned out their garage and started minimizing stuff for the move. "Where do   
   you want me to start," I asked my mother-in-law while looking at her very   
   packed garage.   
      
   She thought for a while and spent a good ten minutes telling what not to   
   touch. I couldn't touch those vintage items because she was going to get   
   appraised. I couldn't touch those boxes because my father-in-law needed to do   
   through them. Opening up a    
   cedar chest sent her into a huge sidetrack of memories as she looked at her   
   grandmother's wedding items. She could surely never part with those.   
      
   It's been a few months since that day, and even though my in-laws made the   
   move, the garage still looks the same. They were able to keep their items   
   stored in the garage while renting out the rooms in the home.   
      
   Does this scene sound familiar to you? If you've ever tried to help someone   
   with a lot of stuff (aka a hoarder), then you know how hard it is to actually   
   get anything done. Everything they own has potential value or sentiment, yet   
   no progress is ever    
   truly made on what items get sold or donated.   
      
   If you're guilty of this, or know someone who is, here are some easy steps to   
   take to overcome your hoarding habits.   
      
      
   The Frugal Side of Being Clutter-Free   
      
   I consider myself the opposite of a hoarder. I enjoy having an easy-to-clean   
   home where each space is maximized for living, not storage. I know many people   
   struggle with the battle of clutter, and I'm here to give you some   
   encouragement today. The more    
   clutter and "stuff" you get rid of, the more freedom and money you will have.   
      
   Here are a few examples on how shedding your hoarding ways can save you money:   
      
   You don't have to pay for extra storage space   
   A clutter-free garage means you can actually park your cars and extend their   
   value (I live in a desert, and the heat and sand damage is tough on my car)   
   It's easier to find stuff, which saves time and money, because you won't have   
   to replace items you already have due to misplacing them   
   Your house will sell faster when you show your home without clutter   
   Too much clutter can lead to a lot of dust, which can mean having to pay for   
   more allergy medicine   
   A decreased chance of falling or injury   
   Four Steps to Ditch Your Hoarding (and Costly) Habits   
      
   So how do you keep your hoarding habits at bay, especially with the holidays   
   fast approaching?   
      
   Keep Life Simple: Stuff can accumulate over the years, and before you know it,   
   you have multiple dish sets, a closet full of towels, and at least a hundred   
   pieces of clothing and accessories. When I first started cutting down my   
   wardrobe, it was hard to    
   get rid of things. But the truth is that I only wore about 25% of my wardrobe,   
   and my closet was always a mess because there were too many things to keep   
   organized. Getting rid of items is hard, but when I cut my wardrobe down 60%,   
   life was so much    
   simpler. Now, I spend less time doing laundry, deciding what to wear, and   
   keeping my closet and room clean. Once I purged my husband's closet too, we   
   decided to have a yard sale. We brought in a couple hundred dollars, but the   
   best part is that cleaning    
   is a lot easier now.   
   Don't Give Into Guilt: Many people hang on to items because they don't want   
   offend the person who gifted it to them. Or perhaps it's hard to sell   
   something at a yard sale when you paid good money for it a few years before.   
   If you let this guilt hold you    
   back from getting rid of an item, it will hold you back from getting rid of a   
   closet full of unused and unwanted items. I'm not talking about hurting   
   people's feelings intentionally, but if something's not getting used, then it   
   doesn't belong there.   
   Redirect Bad Gift Givers: This is a hard subject to talk about because you   
   don't want to offend family members and friends, but you also don't want to be   
   stuck with a lot of unnecessary stuff. Personally, I think it's a bigger   
   insult to stick a gift in a    
   garage unused than to return it for something you will use it. When family   
   members and friends ask what to get my family for Christmas, I stick with the   
   essentials I know will get used. I also direct individuals to give the gift of   
   their time versus a    
   material gift. For example, I suggest they spend quality time with my daughter   
   and get ice cream together instead of buying her a toy.   
   Don't Procrastinate on Junk: I'm good about getting unwanted stuff out of the   
   house and into the garage with the purpose of selling it. However, if I don't   
   put a deadline on following through with that intention, and then it just   
   clutters up the garage    
   for way too long. Set a note in your calendar to list an item for sale or have   
   a garage sale by a certain date. Otherwise arrange for a donation truck to   
   pick up your items. I would much rather make a little bit of money off of my   
   unwanted stuff, but if    
   the items are taking up space in the garage, they're better off being donated   
   and not taking up room in my to-do list and thoughts.   
   Don't wait for spring to declutter your life and get rid of your hoarding   
   ways. Clearing out your closets and shelves is the perfect thing to do before   
   the holidays. It's really freeing to decorate a home that's not overflowing   
   with stuff.   
      
   Confession time; do you tend to hoard unnecessary items or do you enjoy a   
   clutter-free living?   
      
   Tagged as: Advice, Frugality, Motivation   
      
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   Related Posts   
      
   4 Easy Steps to Save Money and Declutter with a Pantry Challenge   
   3 Steps to Changing Your Financial Habits   
   Money Isn't Just for Hoarding -- It's For Spending, Too   
   7 Frugal Habits Everyone Should Develop   
   6 Painless Ways to Save Money for a Vacation   
      
      
   http://moneyning.com/better-yourself/4-steps-to-get-rid-of-hoard   
   ng-habits-and-save-money/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)