How Decluttering Actually Saves You Money
As if there weren’t enough reasons to pare down your possessions and declutter already, decluttering is also very good for your budget. Here are some of the many ways that you can save money simply by reducing clutter in your home.
Rediscover what you own.
Many people rediscover the things that they own when they go through a major decluttering session. You might find things you’d forgotten you had, or things that you’d thought were lost forever—meaning you won’t have to repurchase those things later on.
Waste less food.
If you reduce clutter in your fridge and pantry fairly often, you’re less likely to let food expire or go bad.
This helps keep grocery costs down and makes you more mindful of how much food you really need to be buying at the grocery store.
Stop paying late fees.
Tired of paying late fees on bills and rentals simply because they get lost in the clutter overtaking your home? Decluttering will help you recover lost bills and keep better track of your bills and rentals in the future.
Pay for less storage space.
You’d be surprised at how much money you spend simply to store your things. A storage unit, for example, will cost you anywhere from $40 to $200 per month.
Storage units are not the only cost, however; if you own a ton of stuff, you could end up spending significantly more on a larger house, or you might spend more money on furniture made specifically to store the things in your home.
When you keep your possessions pared down, you’re less likely to pay for extra storage furniture or extra square footage in a home.
Pay less in moving costs.
This will come in handy when it comes time to move—if you are effective at reducing clutter on a regular basis, then you can enjoy lower moving costs when it comes time to move.
Sell your stuff.
Of course, another advantage to going through a major declutter is you can sell your stuff at the end of it. After all, some of your clutter is probably valuable—just not as clutter.
You might plan a neighborhood garage sale with your neighbors to attract buyers, list items like furniture and mattresses in your local classifieds, or sell items like clothing and collectibles on Ebay.
You could make potentially hundreds of dollars off of one decluttering session just by making the decision to sell some of your things.
Better your buying habits.
The more you declutter, the more mindful you’ll become of what you actually need. As you get rid of piles of craft supplies you’ve never used, for example, you’ll realize how much of a waste it was to buy so many craft supplies in the first place.
Decluttering truly has a way of helping you become better at deciding which purchases you should make and which you should forego.
Reduce stress with less clutter.
You’ll likely find as you reduce clutter in your home that you feel happier overall, especially now that you aren’t living with the many stresses that clutter brings. How can this be a financial benefit to reducing clutter?
Well, when you reduce stress and better your overall wellbeing, you are more likely to make better financial decisions.
Spend more time at home.
When your home is host to less clutter, you are more likely to spend time at home—where you can save a great deal of money on an everyday basis.
Cooking dinner at home, for example, is a lot less daunting when you know you won’t have trouble finding the ingredients you need. Spending a night in and watching movies seems a lot more enjoyable when you know your surroundings will be relaxing.
Starting a business at home suddenly seems more feasible when clutter is gone because you have room to grow your workspace. In short, reducing clutter turns your home into a place that itself can save you money in a number of ways.
Grow happier living with less.
As this article points out, there has been a major cultural shift towards minimizing and simplifying life. The reason? People are learning that you can actually grow happier living with less.
And when you’re happier living with less, you are less likely to purchase things that you do not really need. Fewer purchases, in turn, means more money stays in your wallet.
Category: Family Finances
Such a good post! It’s shocking to see how much all the little things can add up to.