How to throw away everything you don't need. How to get rid of trash in the apartment: what things are superfluous

How longer man lives in one place, the more he accumulates unnecessary things: cute souvenirs, boxes of appliances, old things that should be thrown away a long time ago, and other garbage that “may come in handy”. The well-known blogger Leo Babauta, who promotes minimalism as a lifestyle, also suffered from this bad habit- to accumulate mountains of rubbish at home, but he managed to get rid of it. Read his advice on how to “declutter” your home and why every person needs to do it.

One of my favorite habits I've picked up since I changed my life nine years ago is keeping my house in order without clutter. Now I understand that I always hated clutter, but I did not allow myself to think about it, because such thoughts were unpleasant.

The thought of having to clean up so much just scared me, and I always found something to do or suddenly felt tired - in general, I procrastinated.

But then I decided to get rid of the rubbish after all; gradually, one pile of things at a time, began to clean the house, and everything worked out. It was just a discovery, mostly because I didn't know I could do it until I did. What is even more amazing and beautiful - along with the rubbish, irritation and devastation left my life.

That is, putting things in order in the house meant not just cleanliness, but also a peaceful life in the spirit of minimalism. Now I spend less time cleaning, maintaining order, and even looking for the right things. I spend less money on things and I keep less things. I don't really get attached to things.

Here is a little guide for anyone who has long wanted to get rid of junk in the house. Of course, this process will not be instantaneous, and you can’t even call it fast - it can take months before your house gets rid of trash. But if you do it right, the process itself will be exciting and fun, and ultimately it will lead you to inner freedom and empowerment.

1. Start small

Mountains of rubbish can be simply overwhelming, and therefore we postpone clearing it up for later, which will never come. The best thing I've come up with is to concentrate on one small spot in the house and start from there.

A good example is a kitchen set, table or shelf. Clear everything at the intended point, leaving only what is really needed. Put things back neatly and sort the rest. Something will have to be thrown away, something - to give or sell. Sorting will take you only 10 minutes, and you can give away things that you do not need later.

2. Take it apart

So, you have freed a small part of the house from the trash. Excellent, you will feel pride in yourself and pleasure in the work done. But what about the rest of the house? It's still full of rubbish. Give this activity 10 minutes a day or more if enthusiasm awakens.

if you have free time on weekends, you can do a big chunk of work and clean up a lot more than on weekdays. If you wish, you can generally spend the whole day off raking trash.

3. Use a simple method

Put all the things from one part of the house, for example from all the drawers of the table, into one pile. Take one thing out of this pile and ask yourself, “Do I love her? Am I using it?" If not, feel free to throw it away. The main thing - do not postpone the decision for later.

If the answer is "yes", find a specific place for her, her "home". If you love something or really need it, it deserves to have its own place where you will return it every time you use it.

As soon as you decide on one thing, take out the next and repeat all over again. If you work fast and make decisions quickly, you can sort through a bunch of things in 10 minutes (unless the bunch is huge, of course).

4. Immediately put in the trunk

Items that are no longer needed should leave your home as soon as possible. To do this, put them in a bag and in the trunk of the car. On occasion, you throw them away or give them to someone. If you don't have a car, put your trash bags next to the door so you don't forget to throw them away.

5. Talk to relatives (cohabitants)

If you live with other people, they will be surprised when you start getting rid of the trash. You must talk to them before you start. Explain why you are doing this and let them also participate in making decisions about things.

No need to pressure or persuade, just try to talk, tell, maybe show this article. If they don't agree, no big deal. Put away your personal junk, just your stuff, and show them the result. Perhaps, when they see all the benefits, they will agree to change.

6. Track your resistance

In the process of getting rid of trash, you will most likely experience internal resistance. Even if you don't use the thing, when the time comes to get rid of it, there may be a strong reluctance to do so.

For example, it could be a photo of a loved one, a gift from a family member, wedding or travel memorabilia, or something else. It's amazing how we associate objects with memories and love for other people.

In fact, there is no love in these useless things - it is inside you. So getting rid of trash, leaving only feelings inside, is a useful practice.

7. Enjoy the process

If you start to think of getting rid of junk as just another boring homework, there will be no progress. With a high degree of probability, you will come up with excuses for yourself to get rid of this optional routine.

Instead, think of getting rid of the trash as a process of release, a step towards inner fullness and clarity. Smile while sorting and throwing away unnecessary things, focus on your breath, on your body, on movements, on your feelings about the things you are sorting out. This is a useful practice, and I recommend it to every person.

These steps will not help you get rid of junk in one weekend. But you can enjoy the process itself until you completely get rid of the trash and your home is transformed. You will love these changes as much as I love them.

It's useless to fight it. The desire to drag a lot of valuable things into your mink, to keep them longer is characteristic of all living things, even gophers. It remains only to relax and enjoy. And yet, you can optimize stocks, their position in space and your attitude towards them.

What is rubbish is a truly philosophical question. This is where the whole point lies: if you understand that there is rubbish, consider that you got rid of it.

Trying to define rubbish subject by subject is a hopeless business. For some, egg shells are garbage, and for some, valuable fertilizer for their favorite cabbage; to another, a bunch of old cogs and bolts is rubbish, and to another, a future transistor receiver. There are things that are rarely used, there are those that will never be useful, they lie and lie. Sometimes they warm the soul, sometimes they don't. Rubbish is just something that is never used, lies like a dead weight and does not warm the soul, but only makes you want to put it away and not see it.

Rubbish is not born, rubbish is made

The process of turning a normal thing into rubbish is complex and mysterious, the reasons and features of it lie in our soul. Here's a good thing, it's a pity to throw it away, maybe it will still come in handy. And a hopelessly out of fashion, but very high-quality coat or a bunch of children's rompers are sent to the mezzanine in anticipation of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In a couple of years, even illusory hopes will melt away that the grandchildren will wear it, but the thing is good, it’s a pity to throw it away, well, suddenly it will come in handy.

But this thing will definitely come in handy! And another board is being dragged into the house, which should become a super chest of drawers. self made, or a piece of fabric is bought, from which someday, when I learn how to sew, I will sew a dress. And it doesn’t matter that I’ll never learn to sew anyway ...

But this wildly cute little thing, of course, is not useful at all. But she is so cute that there is simply no way to throw her away. And empty perfume bottles, coffee jars, candy boxes and old wall calendars with crumpled but wildly cute pictures are stored, stored in our house.

Sometimes very good, useful and necessary things become trash. Only now they are useful and necessary not at all to us, but to someone else, but we, crushed by stereotypes in the spirit of “every decent family should have a crystal vase”, litter our house with cheese cutters, turbo mops, coffee sets and smart books that we don’t want to read even under pain of death. All this is neatly folded into cabinets and is never used in life, because it is perhaps more pleasant to bite off cheese from a large piece, and drink coffee from large mugs.

Various (useless) little things that are rarely used, but are difficult to store, litter the space very well. It is much easier to buy new candles for a cake at X hour than to look for where you put the old ones.

The apartment is almost hopelessly cluttered with various large-sized rubbish. For example, an old, solid and dull wardrobe or chest of drawers. He will survive both you and your grandchildren, but your grandmother could not look at him without tears.

Trash- these are possibly very good, but potentially unnecessary or hopelessly outdated things for you. All this accumulates, occupies cupboards, mezzanines and pantries, collects dust, fills the living space, requires maintenance and consumes energy. We need to get rid of all this, and the sooner the better.

Junk fighting essentially boils down to two steps. First - you need to understand that it is he who is in front of you. The second - you need to find the strength in yourself to throw him out of the house. And this should be done easily, effortlessly, so that not only your house, but also your inner world is cleared of rubbish.

14 ways to get rid of junk:

Let's play moving: During cleaning, periodically ask yourself the question: "If I were moving to a new apartment now, would I take this thing with me?" If a thing is not needed in a new apartment, then why keep it in this one?
Matroskin's first lesson: If you want to get rid of trash and enjoy it, sell something you don't need. Imagine that you have no money at all, and you are forced to sell things. What would you sell first? So sell it, and with the money you get, buy something you really need.
The second lesson of Matroskin: To sell something unnecessary, you must first buy something unnecessary. But we will not do this. Before you buy a big thing, imagine what will happen to it in 5 years. You can't imagine anything good or reasonable, you don't need this thing.
“Boogie Woogie Throw 27”: Right now, get up and walk around the apartment with a trash bag in your hands. You must find 27 things you don't need and throw them away immediately. The trash lies right in front of you, you just need to look at it in a new way. Pay special attention to magazines, newspapers, expired medicines, old batteries, non-working pens and markers, empty cassette boxes, empty bottles, old sponges and rags, torn tights and socks.
Throw out by flylady: Look at the thing and ask yourself the following questions:
- I love this thing?
- Have I used it within the last year?
- Is that really trash?
- Do I have exactly the same thing, only better?
- Do I really need two of these things?
- I love this thing because it evokes my soulful memories and feelings?
- Or does she make me feel guilty and sad when I see her?
- Clear the room of everything that doesn't make you smile.
Man is friend to dog Get a puppy. A kitten would be fine too. Everything unnecessary will be quickly gnawed and torn to shreds. Everything that you thought you needed, but did not hide in time - too. And now you can throw it all away with a light conscience.
Organize a viper: Let's be realistic - it is impossible to achieve the ideal, completely get rid of rubbish it is forbidden. Therefore, we will give our home junk a cozy place, for example, a small bedside table. And we will store all the rubbish in this wonderful bedside table, and only in it. Sooner or later, the bedside table will fill up, there will be nowhere to put a new portion of rubbish, and we will have to solve the problem of what is junk from our household junk, what to put in the bedside table, and what to throw out after all. A sanctioned viper is an extremely convenient thing: the amount of trash in the apartment is limited, everything is in one place, and at the same time, you don’t have to step on your favorite corns and completely get rid of old jars and cones set aside for a rainy day. But remember that there can only be one viper in a house.
Summer season: Summer cottage is wonderful and useful. It helps to easily and without remorse rid the house of a boring solid chest of drawers, out-of-fashion curtains with teapots and old jeans, but here it is important not to go to extremes and not deliberately litter the dacha itself.
In the best traditions: It seems that in Italy it is customary New Year Throw trash and old things out of the house. Isn't it a wonderful tradition? A holiday of renewal, a holiday of getting rid of junk. Be sure to celebrate it at least 2 times a year.
Waste basket: With its help it is very convenient to get rid of various trifles, however, if the basket is large, then it can help in the fight against larger rubbish. All that you don't know where to put; all that you do not know what to attach to; everything that you think is useful to you, but it is not yet clear how, you put in this basket. Let it lie down. Once a week, month, quarter, the entire contents of the basket are mercilessly thrown away. By that time, the really necessary things will have already been extracted from it, and everything else - trash.
Formatting the hard drive: This method helps a lot to deal with papers, documents, disks, photographs. Imagine that the filing cabinet is not a cabinet, but a hard drive that you have to format tomorrow. Everything of value must be saved today. Everything else will be destroyed. Save what you have the strength and desire for. These are really valuable things. And the rest is not a pity to throw away.
Worse than a Tatar: This method is similar to the previous one, but requires a truly samurai endurance from the performer. First you hide everything of value, and then you invite guests and offer to take away whatever they like from the rest. As an added bonus, you get the opportunity not to take out the trash from the apartment - the guests will take everything out themselves.
Gifts that are not needed: I would like to say separately about the pile of unnecessary gifts that fills our house several times a year. A napkin from Marya Petrovna from the staff, a vase from Elena Mikhailovna from the accounting department, an apron on duty from her mother-in-law, 24 postcards “to your favorite class teacher from 7 “b”” ... It’s good if there are receipts on the gifts and they can be returned to the store. If there are no checks, unnecessary gifts can be re-gifted. Napkin - beloved mother-in-law, a vase - Marya Petrovna. It will be more difficult with postcards, but you can also get rid of them - write thanks to each student on the postcard in response and return them back. The main thing is to crush the “inconvenient and dishonorable” complexes in oneself, it is inconvenient to store all this, and it is dishonorable to throw it in the trash.
If you cannot change the world, then change your attitude towards it: If you stubbornly fail to throw away the rubbish, you can change your attitude towards it. For example, you can declare yourself a collector, and then your school folder with crumpled postcards will become not junk, but a collection. Can't you throw away the bronze chandelier that your beloved mother-in-law decided to keep in your apartment? Call it a family heirloom and tell guests the tales and legends associated with this antique.

When getting rid of rubbish, it is important not to fall into two extremes: on the one hand, do not turn into Plushkin and still rid your house of various junk, on the other hand, you must remember that, in fact, some are old and unnecessary we need things.

Life has become boring, monotonous, luck is not on your side, financial problems have appeared or you cannot meet your soul mate? In this case, take a look around: if at home you are surrounded by old things that have not been used for a long time, but, as a rule, it’s a pity to throw them away, then this may be the reason for all the failures.

Very often, in order to let something new into the house, you just need to get rid of the old. Do you want to learn how to throw away old things in order to attract new and good things into your life? Then read our today's publication on the website "Dream House" and be sure to try to put these tips into practice.

Why you need to periodically throw away old things

According to Feng Shui, old things littering the house prevent the free circulation of qi energy, as a result, energy blocks are created both in the house itself and in its residents. That is why there is a feeling of poor health, failures, dissatisfaction with oneself and one's life. In such a house, one does not want to do anything, apathy, laziness manifests itself, it is even difficult to breathe in it, and things seem to put pressure on the brain, provoking the appearance of negative thoughts.

Ideally, the qi energy should look into every corner of the house, filling it and the people living in it with a new life force to give happiness, health, peace of mind, financial well-being. When all the corners are occupied with some kind of rubbish or unnecessary things, then the energy does not even get into these places. One has only to take and throw away something from old things, as the situation begins to change.

How to get rid of old things: where to start

As a rule, throwing away old things starts with cabinets, but no one bothers to start, for example, with “cleaning out”, a loggia, a pantry. Better yet, first get rid of unnecessary bulky things, for example, a worn-out soft sofa or a crumbling chest of drawers, which no one will repair. In addition, bed bugs and other insects that are dangerous to humans can live in old upholstered furniture. So let's get started...

Balconies and loggias

On the balcony, find all the rubbish that was folded in case it “suddenly comes in handy,” but for six months, a year or more, you didn’t even touch it. Look what is hidden in the boxes, old suitcases and - for sure, there is also something to throw away, if not all! By the way, if you don’t need a suitcase either, then you can also safely throw it away, the only exceptions can be those.

What else from the unnecessary can be found on the balcony? Look for junk in tool boxes, as a rule, there may be some parts that you planned to “return” to the place, fix something, but never did, especially if that thing is no longer used, the part from which is stored.

In general, a balcony or a loggia is best used not for or unnecessary trash, but as a place to relax, or to equip a greenhouse there,.

Pantry

This is another place that can be simply littered with rubbish. If you decide to throw away old things, then you need to start looking for them in the pantry.

Feel free to throw away broken equipment stored in the pantry, for example, old or which you will no longer repair, but kept in case “what if I decide”.

If food is stored in a pantry room or closet, they need to be checked for freshness: old preservation can be safely thrown away; also need to check bulk products and make sure that "living creatures" did not start in them; there is no place for rotten vegetables.

Take away everything that you do not use, repair shelves, cabinets, doors if they are broken somewhere, glue torn wallpapers, refresh the walls and the door with new paint. The pantry after such cleaning must be ventilated.

Cabinets and drawers

There is probably nothing harder than throwing away clothes and shoes, especially if they really suit you, still like it or remind you of some event. Clothes and shoes, like no other things, “remember” your energy, therefore, before throwing old things out of the closets, wash and dry them, wipe the shoes with a damp cloth. Things that are no longer suitable for anything are even advised to be burned. Everything old that has accumulated on things, especially bad things, should neither return to you nor pass on to others. Therefore, either wash it off or destroy it!

You have probably already heard that you need to throw away things that have not been worn for six months, but here everything is individual, depending on the situation or at your discretion. You can throw away everything old in one fell swoop, but it happens that your hand does not rise, then the way out will be to learn how to throw away old things one at a time, gradually, day after day ...

In addition to cabinets, also check chests of drawers, ottomans, and sofas. What is stored in the built-in storage boxes in your bed? If these are bedding, then everything is in order, but if there are “trunks” with old things, throw them away mercilessly!

There are a lot of small drawers in furniture sets for the hallway, in children's walls, and even in. They need to be checked for any unnecessary trifles: checks, receipts, loose-leaf records, old magazines and newspapers, broken pencils or discarded pens, etc. Do you still feel sorry for throwing away all these old things? Believe me, without them your life will be better!

Kitchen

Another place to accumulate unnecessary things in an apartment or house is the kitchen. Here's how to get rid of junk in the kitchen:

First of all, you need to find all the chipped dishes, plates or cups with cracks, teapots and sugar bowls with broken handles - we shamelessly throw all this into the trash, without regret.
Old, unnecessary and terrible utensils that you have not used for a long time are also waiting to be thrown away.
Next, you need to throw away worn-out kitchen textiles - towels, an apron, replacing it all with new and clean ones.
Walk through the lockers where bulk products, cereals are stored, clean everything and put things in order.
Remove everything from kitchen cabinets that does not belong there.
Check cutlery, and all kinds of appliances. Feel free to throw away all those who have lost their appearance, lost their functionality, broke down or tritely require replacement.

Also hold a regular and each time throw away unnecessary things so that it is as spacious, fresh and clean as possible.

What things should not be thrown away

antiques that cost decent money;
things in good condition that can be sold;
things from which you can make crafts, interior decor (provided that you really do this, and not just dream of starting);
things that will be useful in the country (here without fanaticism, so that EVERYTHING is not accidentally useful!);
children's things and toys that can be passed on to someone “by inheritance”.

Many people really need to learn how to throw away old things without hesitation and not be sorry. Sometimes it is very difficult, but the result is worth it! When we get rid of the old, something new will certainly come into our life, and it will certainly be pure and positive. Good luck getting rid of the trash!

Decluttering is not just getting rid of unnecessary things. This is the philosophy and psychology with which you should start any big cleaning of your apartment or house. If you tend to hoard things, my article is for you.

First, I suggest thinking about what a thing is. What options come to your mind? Try using Google or open a dictionary. Everything is simple. A thing is an inanimate object. You may have heard the Dalai Lama say, “People were made to be loved, but things were made to be used. The world is in chaos because everything is the other way around.” Think about this phrase.

How often can we scold children or loved ones who ruined our things! You will want to object that everything costs money, but it is impossible not to notice how psychologically and emotionally we are dependent on our car, laptop, new shoes, beautiful service.

We started thinking too much about things. We spend energy to earn more more money, for which we buy things again. Perhaps you travel a lot, buy good books, eat in restaurants, but still you probably have a famous gadget in your pocket. And we also take things on credit, because we can’t stand it. Therefore, the very first thing to start with is to answer a few simple questions for yourself. You can write down the answers on a sheet if you want to get started.

What is my relationship with things?
Is it easy for me to part with things? What am I especially attached to?
Are there things in my apartment that I have not used for a long time?

Why get rid of unnecessary things?

What bonuses do we get when we change our lives through changing our space?

Space saving. I think it's quite logical. Less things - more space. If your cabinets are bursting at the seams, it's time to declutter.
Saving time and effort. Fewer things means less time to clean them. You do not have to run around the apartment, thinking where to put things. You know exactly where the keys, sweater, dressing gown and bags are.
Saving money. People who value their space are less likely to make impulsive and rash purchases. You will no longer be able to purchase the eighth service or the tenth Evening Dress because you know exactly what you need.
Inner harmony. I am convinced that our inner and outer worlds are interconnected. Therefore, it is worth thinking about how to start changing with the help of decluttering.
A place for new things. Yes, yes, if your house is littered with unnecessary items, it may seem to you that everything is there. But if you allow yourself to get rid of what you do not use, something new will definitely come to this place. This is not magic or mysticism.
Control of things. Now you will know exactly how many forks you need. Shoes, sandals and boots will not be lying around in your corridor. Each item now has its rightful place.

Notice what resonates the most? Do you like the idea that by decluttering you can save resources and control things? If yes, I suggest you continue.

What prevents us from getting rid of unnecessary things?

Perfectionism. This is where excuses start from the series “my spouse won’t support me”, “mom constantly buys things”, “it’s impossible to do it perfectly”, “a teenage child will clutter up his room anyway”, “if only I had a new apartment”. All this hinders us not only in decluttering, but also in life. If I can't do the perfect cleaning, I'll live in a mess. This is the wrong way. How to get rid of? Just start doing and watching, doing and watching! Stop promptly. It seems difficult if a person is used to constantly bringing things to the ideal. Just start. Not in one day. Gradually.
Half measures. We start things and we don't finish. How is it treated? We start and finish. Only an effort of will, there are no magic pills here. The opposite of perfectionism. Read the article to the end, let's start getting rid of half measures now.
Vicious circle.“I have a lot of rubbish at home, I get tired, I have no strength, I go, I buy more, and everything is in a circle.” What to do? Stop bringing unnecessary things, tie up with impulsive purchases. And here you can also include eternal excuses like “I’m pregnant”, “I’m giving birth”, “I gave birth”, “I’m on vacation right now, I’m resting” or masculine “I changed jobs, we are moving, my wife gave birth, I still one". Of course, it is important to understand that only you can break this circle. How? Start doing now, not tomorrow.
Habits. We put things in the wrong place. Accustom yourself today to put the thing right in its place. They took it, used it, put it in order, put it away. It's very simple and saves a lot of time. Teach this to older children. The child threw a thing, you call and say: "Pick it up and take it to the place." But! It is important to show where to put. If a thing has no place, it will wander around the apartment.
Blaming others. We can talk as much as we like about how a husband clutters up an apartment or a mother constantly drags jars of jam into the house, and a wife fills a closet with clothes, but it’s better to look at yourself. Are we all right? How do we ourselves tend to accumulate?

Answer your questions:

Why do I want to loosen up? What will it give me?
What prevents me from getting rid of unnecessary things?
How did my parents feel about things? What was said about them? When was it thrown away or given away? What habits have I adopted?

Make time

You must understand that decluttering will take you from 20 to 120 minutes a day. So grab a piece of paper and a pencil and get started. Describe all the rooms that are in your apartment. Schedule a day and time when you will start analyzing the space. Give yourself a little more time in the kitchen. Do not spend more than two hours a day on this activity. Declutter calmly.

Respect other people's things

Important: We do not throw away other people's things without agreement! We do not put pressure on the husband, wife, parents, mother-in-law. These are their things and their rules! As for children: it is important here, if the child is small, and you know for sure that he will not notice, get rid of it. If the child is older, negotiate with him! We do not throw anything away without the knowledge of the owner of the thing. Teach children the rules of storage. Tell where toys, books, clothes are.

What do you need before you start decluttering?

We will need garbage bags, large and small. It is important that there is a large volume and a small one. In addition, the packages must be very strong.
Containers to put things in. If you just have everything on the shelves, it's a mess. "Fix Price" and "Ikea" to help you. There is no need to buy everything at once, but if you yourself see that there are few containers, buy more, but without fanaticism. A budget option for a shoe box.
Boxes are large or from under-shoes. There you will temporarily put what has not yet found a place. Only there, otherwise you will live in a mountain of things!
Notebook or notepad, centimeter, pen or pencil. This is necessary in order to record, if we need a container, and measure the shelves, space.

How do you know what to leave at home and what to get rid of?

Option one: we throw away an item if it has not been used for more than a year.

Option two: questions from the author of the book "Redempt your life from trash" Andrew Mellen.

Do I (or my family members) use... currently and/or frequently?
Is this thing beautiful? Do I (or my family members) enjoy looking at it?
Does it satisfy ... practical purposes?

Option three: a question from the author of Marie Kondo's Magical Cleaning. Do I like this item?

Do you know what really matters? Focus on the things you leave! Yes Yes. We must take each item in our hands and analyze it. Leave or not?

If we look at what to throw away, then usually we choose few things, or get rid of what is really necessary on emotions. You can choose for yourself any method of decluttering.

Most Popular Books

"Redempt your life from junk" by Andrew Mellen.
"Magical Cleaning" by Marie Kondo.
"Simplify Your Life" by Erin Doland.

You can choose the decluttering system you like, but it is important to remember that it should be adapted to your reality. There are no rules that fit everyone. Each of us has our own characteristics. The rule or storage system may not be right for you. Don't go into denial. Get rid of prejudice. Get the best out of every book.

It is also worth remembering everything that you have read above when you decide to make purchases.

Here, too, there are rules that should be followed:

Do not buy what you can borrow or borrow. Do you really need this item? How often are you going to use it?
Go to the store with a shopping list. This will help avoid problems. If you see something you need, put it on the list, chill. And if you really need this item, you can purchase it next time.
Be careful on sales. This is where we often buy things that we don't use later.
If you're buying a piece, consider whether it will go well with other items in your wardrobe.
Products. Here it is worth remembering that you need to go to the store full.

And finally:

Be "here and now", sort things calmly. You are not in a hurry.
Try to be alone. This will make it easier for you to study everything carefully.
Remind yourself that you are more important than your belongings.
Find out where you can donate unwanted items. Usually these are charitable organizations. Don't forget about recycling.

Ecology of consumption. Life hack: Today you would call me the buzzword "minimalist". Even though things were different just a few years ago...

I long for liberation. I am freeing myself from everything superfluous in my life.

Today you would call me the buzzword "minimalist". Although just a few years ago things were different. My house was bursting at the seams from an endless number of new clothes, cosmetics and perfumes, some interior stuff.

But life has taught me a lot. My parents' house burned down, I divorced myself and spent a lot of time moving, renting an apartment and providing for myself, refusing clothes and travel. There was no closet and vacuum cleaner in the rented apartment, and I learned to regularly wash the floor, that is, to do what I don’t like from deep childhood, and I arranged my clothes in boxes on the floor. And nothing - it was even comfortable.

1. Regularly get rid of unnecessary and / or old things

Moving from apartment to apartment, I appreciated that the less extra things I have, the easier it is to live. The main thing is that what travels with me should be right at this stage and right for my lifestyle.

Life is unpredictable. And if you completely surrender and emotionally invest in things, it can be very difficult if you suddenly have to part with them.

A dozen sentimental bears from the past, clothes that don't fit anymore or just don't like it, but don't seem to be old yet - it's a pity to throw it away, - All this takes up a lot of space and draws energy. And here we are not talking about esotericism - you have to spend energy on ironing, vacuuming, dry cleaning and doing many more manipulations with things that are no longer suitable for us. Elementary, excesses in the wardrobe complicate the choice of clothes. By the time you dig through the whole closet, you can forget about a new blouse under a pile of old dresses.

clothing

Once a season, I review my entire wardrobe. I get rid of what I don’t like, it doesn’t fit well, what I have never worn and I can’t even imagine a situation when I will put it on. I make an exception only for very expensive and high-quality things, jewelry. Who knows, maybe in ten years they will become a valuable rarity? Or will they finally fit me again?

With everything else, I do this: I wash cheap clothes or those that are not in very good condition, put them in order and take them to a thrift store or, in the end, I leave them next to a garbage dump in the city center or in a residential area. Usually the homeless pick it up right away.

The one that is better, I sell. I often use Avito. I just sold a wool scarf with a Guess cap today. The hat was prickly for me, and I didn’t like it at all, so it lay for two seasons almost untouched. And sometimes, we team up with friends and arrange parties with fitting and exchange of such clothes. A great opportunity to meet up and have a great time. Cocktails included!

If there is something left that I don’t dare to sell or give away yet, I put it off for half a year and see if my attitude towards this thing has changed.

Why did I decide to clean my wardrobe every three months? Yes, because it is insanely tiring to sell and give everything away when the closet has not been thoroughly reviewed for a couple of years. Despite the fact that for the past two years I have periodically got rid of everything, now for the second week I have been putting my wardrobe in order.

Unnecessary/obsolete Appliances and gadgets

Oh, these surprise gifts and all that we receive "on duty" or from those who do not know us well. Then there are always extra coffee grinders, multicookers, smart alarm clocks and other things that seem to be necessary, but not for us. They lie and wait in the wings, or rather the moment when they are already obsolete and will be sent, at best, to the country.

If the thing is in the package and has not yet been used, I sell it or set it aside as a gift to someone who really needs it. Among my friends and acquaintances there are lovers of fresh coffee and those who need a keychain-flashlight for keys.

Sometimes it also happens that you choose some super fashionable gadget for yourself, you walk around with it for a month and you realize that, that’s all, you’ve played enough. So I had, for example, with a smart "bracelet" Jawbone Up24. I myself chose it as a birthday present for myself and prescribed it to my friends in the wish list. I thought he would help me wake up with my biorhythms and eat only the right food. As a result, after a month he got tired of me, and I adjusted my biorhythms myself.

I did not throw it in a box with unnecessary items and decided to sell it. By the way, this is where my acquaintance with Avito began. I dropped the price 4 times, and the buyer was immediately found. Yes, sorry to give good thing at such a price, but for myself I decided that it would be better for me to go to a restaurant twice with this money than to fill the box with an unnecessary contraption.

And so in everything. Now I boldly sell extra juicers and food processors left over from family life I can't wait to find my family again and squeeze the juice out of my children and husband. Perhaps my future husband lives in another country and every day the personal chef squeezes juice for him!

2. Choose things according to their expediency.

I used to often buy clothes and perfumes for my mood. Hence the extra clothes, and the money thrown away. But life, as they say, taught me the ruble. Renting an apartment is not cheap. And I slowly began to save money. And most importantly, she returned the very joy that arises when you look for some thing for a long time and find it.

Let me tell you about spirits. I used to have about ten different ones, and I used them depending on my mood. Therefore, they did not end for a long time and insanely bothered me for several years. It's a pity to throw it away, but I don't want to use it.

Now everything is different. I have one day perfume, one for evening and one for seduction. Something like this. And now I choose perfumes for several months. I go shopping, I sniff - mine or not. And I take only those that made me remember their smell.

And how nice it is to buy a thing not just like that, but to make a mini-holiday out of it! For example, I decide that I will dedicate Saturday exclusively to myself. I wake up in the morning, have a delicious breakfast, go shopping, buy a dress, then have lunch in a new place, and at the end of the day - a movie or a spa. This is a whole ritual that gives much more pleasure than a blouse or mascara bought in a hurry and in a fit of longing.

If you are just sad and want to cheer yourself up, it is better to go for a massage or to the theater. Spending money in delirium is not the best story.

This is about clothes, but what about large purchases? household appliances, cars and so on? Again, the principle of expediency. Why buy TV in every room if I only watch it in the living room, and even then on holidays? Or what's the point of a food processor if there's nowhere to put it. It will be stored in the pantry or under the bed, and, accordingly, hardly used.

3. Keeping family heirlooms and your own trophies is necessary, but not all.

Over the years of life, a lot of memorable little things usually accumulate in one place, which over time can absorb the entire apartment if they are not regularly cleaned. For myself, I choose only what I am ready to spend my space on, I attach everything else for its intended purpose. I keep old photos on removable hard drives, I give away the disks, leaving only the most memorable ones for myself.

It is always very difficult to part with the things of beloved relatives after their death. But you can’t take everything with you and carry it for the rest of your life. I would really hate to get rid of military uniform his grandfather with orders and his notes or some of his grandmother's jewelry and photographs. But, for example, I would give some of the books to those who really need them: friends, small cafes, orphanages. Memories from this will not become less, but I will have more space.

Or another example, I have a memory box where I used to put old concert tickets, Love letters and other nice little things. Although it takes up a lot of space, until now I did not dare to throw it away and steadfastly carried it with me during all the moves. But now I am already mentally mature in order to part with it, if life requires it. After all, all the memories are in our heads!

4. Plan your living space consciously.

In the living space, everything should be convenient and at hand. I, for one, love to cook and put everything in the right order for me. It is important for me that everything is nearby, and not lying in a pantry or closet. When I had a large kitchen, I could afford to put all the kitchen appliances on various tables and kitchen islands and use them regularly. As soon as I put something in the drawer, I forgot about it. So, the blender could stand idle for months. When I moved into a rented apartment with a small kitchen, I took only the most basic things - a couple of frying pans, pots and other small utensils. I was no longer up to double boilers and food processors.

The same applies to extra shelves, boxes and little things. When planning a kitchen and an apartment (it’s strange, but I’ve already done this several times in my life), I try to minimize unnecessary rooms and objects that are then not clear how and with what frequency they will be used. Everything that does not carry real functionality only interferes and clutters up your apartment.

I arrange cosmetics so that in the morning only my permanent set is at hand, and not a whole cosmetic bag. Shadows and lipsticks, tonal creams, which I use less often, lie separately. So I save a lot of time, because I don’t have to look for anything.

In addition, I have several drawers and compartments that contain the contents of the most frequently used outdoor items. For example, in autumn there is an umbrella, keys, documents, gloves, a couple of bags, a sponge for shoes or credit cards. And in the summer - sunglasses, adhesive plasters, napkins.

Such I place functional sets in those zones where I find the fastest access to them at the right time. And again, I regularly get rid of everything that I do not need and does not work. In a sense, it does not work for me and for my current life situation.

5. Don't buy extra food if you don't have time to cook it.

My heart bleeds every time I see my parents making extra jams, sauces, mushrooms and cucumbers! Year after year, the situation does not change, and only half of everything that was done so diligently and with soul is eaten.

I always try to use the principle of expediency. For example, I'm a fan of fresh berries - so at the end of the summer I can devote time to picking them or buying and processing them for storage in the freezer. But I sincerely do not understand those who do it "by inertia" - there is no need to be a "fraer", who was ruined by greed. So life only becomes more complicated, because we lose precious minutes that could be spent on something really important.

I myself am not a fan of jam and canned vegetables and fruits, so I do not strive to make such preparations. Being married, she made several jars - just enough to last the winter. I don't like it when food is thrown away. The same goes for shopping. I prefer to go for perishable products such as milk, meat or fish several times a week than to buy for a few weeks in advance and store it all in the freezer.

Again, all products that have undergone heat treatment, whether cold or warm, no longer carry as much benefit as fresh ones. For myself, I decided to buy seasonal vegetables and use a grain germinator.

There is always a solution if you really want to find it.

6. Periodically assess whether all those expensive things that we use are really needed.

Now we will talk about apartments, cars, cottages, yachts ... A car is good, but how much time and money does it take to maintain. It is comparable in cost to daily taxi rides. And then there are traffic jams, time to warm up the engine (especially in winter), problems with parking, and so on. Yes, still the car makes us walk less. Times so in a hundred less walk. And to be in shape, you then need to go to the gym, or you could just walk five to ten kilometers every day. And it is quite real.

I'll tell you by my own example. As soon as I got a car, I started to drive it almost constantly. With the change of work and housing last year, I simply did not get out of it. And what is the result? Gained a couple of extra pounds, despite the sport. And then I decided to reconsider my attitude to the car, to assess whether I really need it every day. Abandoning familiar pattern that a car is convenience and comfort, I rediscovered walks, minibuses, metro and even electric trains. And she was satisfied. Now I often do this: in the morning I come to work by car, and in the evening I leave home without it. I go out a couple of metro stations earlier from home to walk and do some shopping. So, I walk more and manage to do my business in parallel.

Apartments, cottages and other real estate. I am sincerely convinced that these things should work for the owner. Either they live there regularly, or they are obliged to bring money. My choice is simple. I don't want to spend time maintaining houses I won't live in, buying furniture, cleaning, insurance, and so on. Indeed, forces and energy flow into this hole, why give it to something that you practically do not use. Guided by the principle of expediency, if possible, I will rent something, I will sell something, and where my heart is, I will live. about published

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