If stuff comes into your house or office, or . . . anywhere, it also needs a way to get out. It’s a rule of nature.
When things flow in but don’t flow out, clutter results. It makes sense. But it’s an challenge that I find clients have not considered or solved for themselves.
Clutter can happen anywhere. And it does. Clothing you no longer wear. “Tsatchkas” that have outlived their appeal. Florist’s vases from Mother’s Day, the flowers they held long gone.
If paper clutter is causing a troublesome bottleneck, that’s when I get a call at Personal Money Manager, where I provide this service to clients.
Every day, mail arrives. Bills get paid but the paid bills don’t have a home. Magazines and catalogs pile up. We’re really good at getting things into our living spaces—or allowing others to put things under our roofs. But not as good at sorting through and then removing what’s no longer useful (or, dare I say, gives joy!). That last step can be overlooked until things get out of control.
First, it helps to recognize the bottlenecks in your living space.
Next, you need a system (or, rather, multiple systems) to keep things flowing. This involves both an exit ramp—like a shredder or donation drop-off—as well as the will to feed the system with your cast-offs.
Be aware that processing takes time. You can multi-task and flip through your newsletters or clipped recipes while watching TV or listening to a podcast, for example. But getting stuff out doesn’t happen without some time and effort. And if the first plan of action doesn’t work for you, please move on to Plan B. Here, new ideas and a second set of eyes can help so consider calling on a professional organizer.
Here are my ideas for creating exit ramps for 3 categories of stuff:
Paper
As a financial organizer / daily money manager, paper is my specialty. I believe every office (even a home office) needs a shredder, recycling bin, and trash bin. A small tabletop shredder or heftier floor model might fit your needs.
For bigger accumulations, find community shredding events or county-wide shredding and recycling facilities. I like shredding events, as they give me deadlines for going through old files. (I keep three banker’s boxes in the garage for this purpose.)
This time of year, when you are adding your completed 2023 tax files and a brand new 2024 tax file folder, thin out and archive your 2016 and earlier tax files. (The current thinking is to keep the tax returns themselves indefinitely. Your tax professional is, of course, your authority on the best record retention policy for you.)
For reading material, try marking expiration dates on items: “If I don’t find read this by X date, it moves on.” Did you know that National Geographic has a collectors’ site just for swapping and selling their publications? Their main site has additional repurposing ideas. You’re not the only one with that challenge!
Clothes in “Good Used Condition”
Be honest about the condition of the clothing you donate. Items in less than “thrift shop” condition should go to textile shredding rather than be a burden on a charity. Check Earth911 for textile and other recycling options near you.t
One professional organizing colleague suggests a declutter-as-you go plan: Place a bag at the bottom of your closets. Stash in the bag an item you planned to wear but see that it’s no longer right for you. When the bag fills up, you can decide the next step—donate or recycle? Could a system like this work for you?
Plastic bags and wrapping
Here’s an idea for an exit ramp that you may not have considered. Our library is collecting plastic bags and wrapping to earn free benches from Trex. I stash these in a bag hanging in my garage which I deliver to the library when it’s full. Maybe your local library is doing the same?
Does “One In / One Out” Still Make Sense?
An exit ramp strategy is an extension of the organizing mantra: For each item you take into your house, take one out. Updated thought on this says that “one in, one out” is NOT the best policy as it encourages over buying. Instead, should we be aiming for one item out but sometimes nothing in to take its place? I’ll leave this question to you . . . and please let me know your thoughts.