Can You Toss It? 5 Things to Ask Yourself

You’re stuck on an item — not sure if it’s a keeper or something you can toss, today I’m going to give you five questions you can ask yourself to decide if that item is with the storage in your home, or not.

Of course, not all of these 5 things are going to work for every family, but it’s a good place to start — so, be sure to pick the ones that work for you! AND be sure to keep reading because one of the key points that a LOT of people miss about organizing is at the end. 🙂

And, before we get going if you’re looking to declutter, be sure to join my 5 word challenge. It really helps simplify the process and well help you do it faster — which probably sounds pretty great!

Ok, onto the questions….

I say “toss” because sometimes this means donate, sometimes it means trash. It al depends on the item and how it’s best for you to remove it from your house. I’m a big fan of donation when it’s right, but sometimes garbage is your best bet!

How Much or How Easy to Replace It?

So often we keep large things that we aren’t using, they take up a lot of room and the big question — how easy is it to replace it?

Can you find it under $30 at a local big box store? Then, maybe it’s not worth it to “pay” to store it at your house “just in case”. For everyone, that dollar amount will be different, but so often we keep things we may use ONCE that we could easily borrow from a friend maybe, or grab at a big box store should we need it.

Remember: Every item that you keep in your house is paying “rent” to be there. It’s increasing your inconvenience, and is taking the place of something else you could have in that spot — are they good “renters”?

Can Something Else Do The Same Job?

The kitchen is the worst for this. I keep some gadget that separates eggs, when in reality I usually just use eggshells to do that job.

Can something else do the same job?

Is this something that makes life SO much more convenient? If not, toss it.

I know I gave my mom a MILLION of these one-use gadgets to do what she did in the kitchen. Even if it was a gift, it’s OK to toss it!

Would My Kids Treasure This When I’m Gone?

I just spent a few fine days getting my parents moved out of a 6,000 square foot house into a 900 foot apartment. It really puts into focus what your family WANTS to keep and what no one really cares about.

At a certain age you’re going to realize that your stuff is going to have to be taken care of someone else — and do they really want this item?

I will say there are items I still treasure, but there was a LOT that we’d held onto for years that was pretty meaningless and was dealt with by the estate sale.

Of course, it’s OK to keep things that you still treasure, but if that number is pretty large, you may want to ask yourself if your family will also treasure it.

Would I Move This To a New, Smaller Home?

Like I said above — as you start to downsize things become a lot more clear.

So often we keep a LOT in smaller spaces in our home, when we’d be happier with less to take care of, even in our larger homes.

Asking yourself if you would take the effort to move the item to a new home is a great way to get clear on what matters, and what matters less.

Why Am I Struggling with This One?

Ultimately, decluttering should be a pretty quick task. There should be some hard yes’s for things you love and use frequently. There are likely also a lot of no’s for things that you’re just not in love with anymore.

I think it’s important to look at a couple of things:

1. If you’re struggling a lot (with many items), it might be time to work on your mindset — WHY do you want to declutter this area, and is it really worth your time to make a system that works slick?
2. If this is just one item you’re struggling with — ask yourself why?
   • Is it a gift from someone you love? Remember that relationship and how important they are to you.
   • Does it remind you of a time that has past? Remember how great those days were, and send that item with love to other people experiencing those same things.
   • Could a photo of the item still bring you joy as you look through your pictures. That’s an easy way to remember something without having to keep it.

I think too often we don’t think about our mindset as we get into the order of decluttering and organizing our home.

I know I often forget my own mindset as I set about tasks like this. But I have found a solution.

The Organized Home really dives into what you want for each particular area. When you get sure of your purpose and what you want out of things, I think the organizing comes really easily.

Plus I give you ideas of systems that work to get started on it in your own home. You can get started today for just a few bucks and then cancel when you’re done (no obligation to stay).

Not sure you’re quite ready for the full course. Come join me in the totally free 5-word organization challenge!