The 3 Priorities with Organizing Belongings: PICK 2!
I’ve been toying with this thought lately when it comes to organizing; you can keep lots of belongings, you can save money, and you can keep your place tidy. But you really can’t do all three. Here’s what I mean.
Keeping Excess Belongings
In today’s world of online shopping and the constant hunt for a great deal, it can be way too easy to accumulate a plethora of items at a speed faster than you can use your findings. Clothing, the latest kitchen gadget, home décor, you name it, you can probably find a way to get your hands on it in a matter of hours.
But when that bright and shiny object arrives, you need a place to put it. If you run out of shelf and cabinet space, you could have boxes of your latest purchases piling up in your most hidden room or closet, eventually creating a hot mess that you can’t utilize to its full potential.
At this point, you need to make a choice. If that choice does not include getting rid of some of your belongings, it could cost you, either in space or money, maybe even both!
You can always acquire more space. You can buy a bigger home to store all your things. But a more prominent home will not only cost you in terms of the larger purchase price, but also in more substantial utility, insurance, and property tax bills. Another option is to rent out a storage unit. According to sparefoot.com, in 2018, the national average cost of a storage unit is $88.85 a month. You're looking at spending over $1000 a year just to keep things that you will barely use! Because let's face it, if you have to go to a storage unit outside of your home to fetch something, you're less likely to grab it.
So, you’re not interested in a new home or renting a storage unit. You can opt for buying more shelves and other storage units to place around your home. You can even buy more containers to place things in. But there is a limit to how many shelves you can put along the walls until the walls look overwhelming. And the price of getting individual containers adds up quickly.
When you're ready to start purging and decluttering, your options for keeping your home tidy and even saving some money begin to open up!
Saving Money
It’s just a simple fact that the less you have to store, the less space you need. You need less house, less containers, and have less maintenance costs. And if you have enough itemized deductions, then donating unused items for 501(c)3 organizations can even save a few bucks on your tax bill!
But there is an unexpected way paring down your belongings can save you money. When you pare down to just what you need and genuinely love, you can keep your items organized for easier retrieval. And when you can more easily find your needed items, then you don't go out to buy another!
A Tidy Home
I bet most people will agree that having a tidy home provides a sense of peace and calm. There is nothing I love more than when I see my kitchen counters cleared, empty clothing baskets, and an open desk space. I’ve found it’s just easier to work when everything is in its proper place. But it’s not easy to keep everything in its proper place if you’ve accumulated more items than you have homes for. You may place your acquisitions on the table, waiting for a decision on where to put it. You may also have boxes and containers lining the way. Even if you have only home décor items on a mantel, not giving the decorations room to breathe will just make the area look cluttered. You can't enjoy your decorations if everything looks cluttered.
When you have more belongings then you do homes, you can invest in more “space” to keep things looking tidy. Matching containers on a shelf look lovely and can often look beautiful. If you have the means to have a larger home, having specific rooms such as a craft room or office is a wonderful luxury to help you concentrate on a particular task or craft you take on.
Conclusion
Look, I get it's a little clickbaity to say you can only pick two of these organizing priorities. After all, life is a balancing act. But if one of these priorities is your primary focus, then you're going to have to decide which of the other two is more important. However, if you work towards one priority and hit a roadblock, the different priorities can also be worth considering to move you past the barrier. You can decide which area may be able to give a little to achieve the balance of the items you want to keep, the money you want to save, and the tidiness level of your home.