The pile of clutter at the corner probably consists of any of the followings: the extra household goods we got when we got married; the new things we bought over the years and while never bothering to get rid of the old things. But you’d be lying if you

The idea of living a simple, and uncluttered life with fewer things sounds pleasant, and attractive to many people.  There are certain benefits of owning fewer possessions: less items to clean and organize; less debt; less stress: and more energy.  People who are ready to reduce clutter in their home often have this nagging thoughts at the back of their minds: “What if I accidentally remove an item from home, later need the same item again in the future.  However, in reality this rarely happens.

Where do I begin?

Once we realize the benefits of owning fewer things, or have discovered the joy of seeing clutter-free closet, drawer, or the house, we instinctively search for laces where we can reduce the clutter.  The most difficult thing is to start, and before we know it, we will have made significant progress in our journey towards a more simplified life. Yes it’s always overwhelming to decide where to begin.  Here is a list of a few things we can do in the pursuit of the art of letting go.

  1. Use the Four-Box Method

This is the most often used technique in many households.  As we set out to de-clutter an area, use four boxes to separate four types of objects: trash, give away, keep, or relocate.  Each item in every room should fit into one of the four categories. We should consider each item individually. It may take hours, days or weeks, but it is the most organized way out to reduce clutter.

  1. Turn what If’s Into What Now’s

It seems utterly ridiculous when you find yourself worrying about whether or not you should get rid -- spool of ribbon -- you’ve had for years but never used.  You’re not scared to get rid of the ribbon; you merely don’t want to arrive at a situation where you will wish you still had it. You don’t want to regret getting rid of it. You’re bringing some future hypothetical situation into your right now and using up valuable space and energy that should be devoted to your present.

  1. Take a Picture

This is probably the simplest and most obvious, but often overlooked tip. Get rid of the old photographs by simply scanning and saving them digitally.  If you have old holiday cards, letters from people you no longer talk to, or even stack of your children’s art work  that hold sentimental value, take a picture and toss it away.

  1. Use it, if it is important to you

So how can you keep the memories without turning the memorabilia into a sentimental clutter?  Just save just one item from the collection.  The necklace with a broken clip that you put away in the drawer and that was gifted to you by your partner on a special day? Or your grandmother’s ring that no longer fits you? Go to the jeweler and either repair them or turn them into something you can wear.  Got those old but memorable photographs?  Frame them if they are in hard copies, and set them as your desktop or smart phone’s wallpaper if they are in digital form. Don’t designate certain items precious simply keeping them away, in the corners of your storeroom, and turning them into meaningless clutters, if they hold special meaning, you should use them.

The following list of 50 things that can easily be given away, donated, sold off, or tossed out, as you master the art of letting go.

50 things to get rid of

  1. Books
  2. Magazines
  3. Old newspapers
  4. Old bills and receipts
  5. Old letters
  6. Old calendars
  7. Phonebooks, cookbooks
  8. Expired offer coupons, tickets
  9. Expired and leftover medicines
  10. Expired makeup
  11. Dried nail polishes
  12. Stationary: pens that don’t write, blunt scissors etc.
  13. Spare or fallen buttons of clothes you no longer wear
  14. Old prescription glasses
  15.  Broken watches
  16. Old sheets
  17. Duplicate kitchen wares
  18. Outdated electronics
  19. Cables, wires, phone chargers
  20.  Old batteries
  21.  Manuals
  22.  Silly fridge magnets
  23.  Unused frozen objects in your fridge
  24.  Moist coffee
  25.  Dried flowers
  26.  Flower vases you don’t use
  27.  Toys
  28.  Kids’ artworks
  29.  Kids’ clothing that no longer fit
  30.  Scarves and ties
  31.  Promotional t-shirts
  32.  Extra caps
  33.  Stained clothes
  34.  New never worn clothes
  35.  Old uniforms
  36.  Bags with damaged zippers
  37.  Socks with holes or missing pairs
  38.  Gloves with missing pairs
  39.  Missing puzzle pieces or games
  40.  Bottles without caps
  41.  Containers without lids
  42.  Photographs
  43.  Outdated softwares
  44.  Old or broken phone cases
  45.  Gifts you don’t like or can’t use
  46.  Old Lingeries (replace them with new ones)
  47.  Keys that no longer fit to any locks
  48.  Jewelry accessories (damaged or those with missing pieces)
  49. Cardboard cereal boxes
  50.  CDs, DVDs, VHS Tapes, cassettes, etc.