How DECLUTTERING CAN HELP YOU SAVE MONEY

I started decluttering around 3 years ago now, around the same time I did my first no buy which was focussed on cosmetics due to previous overhopping. It was also around the same time as I began thinking about moving house. I found myself feeling that I needed a bigger home, in part to house all my stuff - and I realised just how ridiculous this was and started the process of letting go of things I didn't need or use.

Now there are many benefits to decluttering, which I may write about in a future post, but today I'd like to share how decluttering helped me save money and can hopefully help you save money too.

DECLUTTERING HELPS TEACH US THE VALUE OF STICKING TO A BUDGET OR EMBRACING MINDFUL PURCHASING

As you begin to declutter, it's likely you will come across things you have perhaps never used, clothes with tags still on them, things that might have been forgotten about in the back of a cupboard and so on. This can be quite uncomfortable because it can raise feelings of regret, or even guilt at having wasted money in this way. However it can serve as a great lesson in teaching us the value of sticking to a budget or embracing mindful purchasing.

Many of the things I had that were unused were things bought when I had no budget, no financial goals, I clearly hadn't bought those items because I needed them, or was even confident that I would use them. I wasn't purchasing mindfully, it was likelyI was having 'sod it' moments and not even really thinking about the purchase.

Whilst I certainly felt some regret over the money I had spent on some of the items I was now decluttering, it has in a strange way been valuable as I really do try to scrutinise purchases now, not to never buy anything, but to get the best value from my money and to reduce the chances of buying something that I will end up decluttering later unused.

HIGHLIGHTS SPENDING HABITS

One thing I noticed once I began decluttering was that I had repeated purchases of certain things and I began to notice patterns in my spending habits.

For example, at one point I went all around the house collecting body lotions and such, and I found I had two shoe boxes full, which is obviously ridiculous. But when I thought about when I had bought most of them, I realised what I had been doing was if on a Friday or Saturday night, I didn't have plans to go out for drinks with friends or a meal etc, I would pop to the shops on the way home from work and pick up some nice bits for a pamper night - but I wasn't factoring in that I already had plenty of things for a pamper night.

So through decluttering, you can start to recognise certain patterns and habits you've maybe gotten into - it might not be cosmetics, it could be those extra cleaning products you don't need, those items of clothing you bought mainly because they were on sale. By taking stock of what you have and identifying shopping habits, you can work to stop any habitual shopping and prevent wasting money in the future.

HELPS REDUCE IMPULSE SHOPPING

Leading nicely on, by understanding exactly what you have at home, you are far less likely to buy items on impulse. When our items are lost in a sea of clutter, it can often seem easier in that moment to just purchase something, especially if it's a good deal or a bargain. 

Furthermore, so many of us lead such busy lives that it can often feel like the easier choice to purchase something you know you already have, because you dont have time to search your home for the item.

By reducing the unnecessary clutter and asigning the items you do keep a home, you don't need to make multiple purchases of the same item as you know you already have one, and importantly where to find it.

YOU MIGHT NEED LESS SPACE

The storage unit market has been flourishing for a good few years now, and the size of the average home has been increasing for decades despite the average amount of inhabitants decreasing.Why? Because so many of us just have so much stuff. If you can really get serious with decluttering, you might find you can get rid of that cost of a storage unit, consider downsizing to a smaller home, or at least not feel the need to move to a larger, more costly home to house your stuff.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY STORAGE SOLUTIONS

There are entire companies built upon our need to store and organise all our stuff. And whilst I'm partial to good storage solutions myself from time to time, what many people do when finding themselves overwhelmed with stuff is rather than declutter, they set out to orgainise it - in the process buying lots of pretty plastic containers, which will only temporarily solve the problem anyway.

By facing the clutter head on, going through the discomfort, not only does it offer benefits in terms of addressing our purchasing habits but you have no need to buy so much storage.

LETTING GO HELPS BREAK THE DESIRE FOR MORE

When I began to declutter, I wasn't that good at it, I found it hard to let go of things for multiple reasons - they were unused, they were still in great condition, I'd spent money on them, maybe one day I might need/use/wear/want it... But over time I got so much better at it, at being realistic with myself about whether I would use something and shifted my mindset to feel that I would rather someone else get joy from an item found in a charity shop, or bought from me for a small amount, than from it hanging in my wardrobe unused and unloved for example.

Interestingly, once I let go of items, I realised I was no less happy.

When we are bombarded with messages from advertising, from society, from social media, that more equals better, that more equals more happiness - and whilst to a certain extent material items do add certain value and therefore bring some form of happiness, it certainly doesn't come from the accumulation of stuff for the sake of it.

Through learning to let go I learnt that more things will not necessarily help me feel more secure, more happy, more special, more successful, and thus reduced my desire for more items, rather I think about purchases and buy just what I truly want. And even if some of those I do buy are higher quality or even luxury, ultimately I've saved money overall because I'm genuinely satisfied with those things. 

MAKE MONEY SELLING ITEMS YOU DON'T NEED

Lastly, a little bonus benefit is that you can start to recoup some of the money you've spent by selling any items that are in good condition. Often just a little effort can turn your unwanted clutter into someone else's treasure.

Overall, I've found decluttering has had a positive impact on multiple areas of my life, including financially. 

It's also a great activity to start during a no buy or a low buy as you get to see how much you already have, the extent of previous shopping, and it really does quell the want to shop when you are working through all of your accumulated clutter - you absolutely don't want to bring more items into the home in these moments!