Learn From Me on How Not to Deal With Clutter

Have you ever walked into a house or an apartment where it looked like the Sistine Chapel. Well that isn't me. I am not one of those people. And if you are like me when you walk into a place like that, you are like me and you feel real bad and you feel like crap about yourself. Well don't feel bad, they are probably minimalists. Well I am a product of the eighties and I don't live in a place like that with my own doing.

In the 1980's, if you are in your 40's, we were either bought stuff or when we had money, we rand sacked the stores in the 1990's and 2000's because we worked. And then if you are like me, you  had to pay credit card debt's off from buying too much. However, I am a work in progress as many of us. 

Well if your house is not perfect like others don't fret, maybe you could sell stuff, but I am going to give you tips on what I am trying to do to get my place like that. Well maybe I won't, but I will give you tips on what not to do.

1. Don't throw away everything you buy, there maybe value in it.

2. Don't just leave unused items sitting in your house or place, sell it.

3. Don't throw your garbage everywhere and expect to clean up later.

Now nobody is perfect. I am not either. I have been criticized on how messy I have been many times and it is difficult to keep up with everything even though I do clean every so often. Lets face facts I live in an America and my excuse is I am a product of the 80's, but I will discuss the three don'ts here. 

1. Don't throw away everything you buy, there maybe value in it.: Many people feel that they could just throw away every item to clear clutter, but in doing so, you may lose value and think what a single dollar might do. My brother says if you can sell an item for $10 it is worth it, but I shoot lower. If you could get something out of it can be worth it. You may not get face value off the item even in a package so best to get what you can get out of it. I can see if it is a real expensive coin or something expensive to get money off of it, but come on don't just throw away the item, does that really solve anything. 

2. Don't just leave unused items sitting in your house or place, sell it.: Some unused items you may think to save and maybe you may have sentimental value with it, but that is another story, but if you pass it and you have nothing attached to it, maybe it is time to sell it. Say bye bye and put it on eBay. Yes, I know it is work, but it will be worth it. You want to get some money for that Item you care less for and hey who knows you may have a job if you collected a lot garbage you want to get rid of. Just saying.

3. Don't throw your garbage everywhere and expect to clean it up later. Now I know we are all guilty of this and I know I am. We drink something from McDonalds and we put it next to us, we finish it and are too tired to throw it out. Then it builds up. Somethings make it to the garbage, but somethings don't. Learn from my mistakes, try to throw it out. It will be one less thing you will have to do later. I am not saying I am that bad, but I have some mistakes that I could improve on and I know that many have mistakes they could improve on to.

Don't feel bad if you are walking into your friends place that's a Sistine Chapel. Chances are you are not one of those people. You are in good company. I am not one of those people and I am sure there are millions like us out there. Sometimes people like to have perfection, but accept your faults it is what makes you human. We don't need to be perfect, but a work in progress. 

Here are two books that you could read on helping reduce clutter that you could read and it had helped me a little bit.

• Stop Throwing Money Away: Turn Clutter to Cash, Trash to Treasure--And Save the Planet While You're at It by Jamie Novak.

Let Go of Clutter by Harriet Schechter