7 Best Ways to Stop Clutter Before it Starts

No doubt clutter can build up pretty quickly.  And, before you know it, you’re surrounded by piles and piles of stuff. 

Perhaps by now, you’ve come to realize the importance of being intentional about what you bring into your home.  This makes it easier to stem the flow of clutter. Otherwise, you may feel like you’re sinking in it.

Rest assured, there are ways to stop clutter before it starts.

So, what are they?

1. Shop with a list.
2. Avoid impulse buying.
3. Stop trying to impress others.
4. Avoid the temptation of a good deal.
5. Have a home for everything.
6. Donation box.
7. Scheduled decluttering sessions.

Let’s delve into these in more detail.

Bear in mind, if you’ve read 5 Organizing Basics to Get Your Home Under Control, you may have already implemented a couple of these.   Now let’s go deeper and look at ways to stop clutter before it starts.

1. Shop with a list

This will help you to stay on track with intended purchases.

So, before going grocery shopping, for instance, take a good look at what’s already in the fridge, freezer, and take an inventory of your pantry items. This is to ensure that you shop for what you need.  And, aren’t buying doubles. 

Better yet, keep a running grocery list either on your cell phone, your smart home assistant, such as Google Home or on some good old pen and paper placed near the fridge.  This way, you’ll stay up to date when you’re running low on a particular item.

Creating a list also applies to online shopping.  The ease of clicking and buying can lull you into falsely believing that you “need” a bunch of new clothes even though the clothes you have are in good condition.   Next thing you know, you have plenty of deliveries and more household clutter.

In short, if you stick to your list, you will reduce clutter and save money.

2. Avoid impulse buying

Have you considered how much of your clutter is attributed to unplanned purchases?

Avoiding impulse buying is a sure-fire way to stop clutter before it starts.  A lot of extra stuff could have been prevented from coming in your front door if the urge to splurge hadn’t been exercised.

If you’ve had bouts of “retail therapy” you know what I’m talking about.

Don’t treat shopping as though it’s a hobby.  Be intentional about it – whether in-person or online.

Moreover, remember your list and your budget! 

It’s a good idea to be aware of your triggers when it comes to impulse buying.  Get in touch with some of the underlying reasons for this. Ian Zimmerman, Ph.D., unpacks this in his article, What Motivates Impulse Buying.

Here’s a tip to curb impulse buying.  Challenge yourself to a month of zero spending.

3. Stop trying to impress others

This resonates so much, particularly in this age of social media and instant gratification.

Highlight reels, filters, and carefully curated lives are often shown online or in celebrity culture.  And, if you’re not careful, you can get caught up in it.

Perhaps you know people who line up for the latest cell phone model when it comes out or some other gadget.  And, next thing you know, they’ve posted their purchases on their social media pages to impress others.

So, if you’re tempted to upgrade your car because your neighbor’s new vehicle looks so shiny in their driveway or you just KNOW your colleague is going to be envious of your new designer purse, remember that new things are just THINGS.  And can never be substituted for what’s important in life.

Once you start down that slippery slope of trying to impress or please others, you won’t have true contentment. 

Besides, you’re on a mission to stop clutter before it starts. So, keep your goal top of mind when you get that itch to prove your worth to others through your purchases. Your value is not in your purchases or your purchasing-ability.

4. Avoid the temptation of a good deal

Bypassing a good deal can be challenging.   I mean, who doesn’t like a good bargain?

Here’s the thing. If you’re buying items simply because they’re on sale and stockpiling them, you’ve defeated the purpose.  These so-called good deals often end up somewhere in your home – unused.  And, in the case of clothing, unworn, in the original packaging.

And at the end of the day, what accumulates is a lot of clutter.

So, rather than bringing unnecessary things into your home, ask yourself the following questions:

Is this a need or a want?

Will it be used? Eaten? Worn? Displayed?

Where will it go?

Is it in the budget?

Remember less stuff equals less clutter.

5. Have a home for everything

Get into the habit of putting things where they belong.

Perhaps you’ve got piles of papers on surfaces, a junk drawer that’s hard to close and you have limited storage space. 

You can see that when items don’t have designated spots, they take up space on your surfaces, becoming clutter.

Whatever you own, must have a place. And if not, a re-evaluation is in order. 

Not to mention decluttering. 

Yes, paring down and developing new habits can be difficult.  It’s much easier to do what you’ve always done. 

However, a cluttered house is not the desired outcome.

So, be sure to have designated places for the items in your home.  This way, things can be put away properly, when you’re finished with them.

The more you do this, the less clutter you will have.

6. Donation box

Keeping a centrally located donation box in your home is a great way to stop clutter before it starts.

This way, whenever you and your family come across items that you no longer need that are in good enough condition to donate, just throw them in the box.

Now, if the items in the box start to spill out onto the floor, that’s a problem! The aim is not for your donation box to become a source of clutter.

So, it’s important to drop the box off at a donation center, before it starts to overflow.

And, then start the process all over again.

7. Declutter regularly

Decluttering on a regular basis is one of the best ways to stay on top of clutter.

Whether you set aside a few minutes per day, or carve out time weekly or monthly, establishing a declutter routine on a schedule that works best for you, is a step towards reducing those major feelings of overwhelm that you experience when you have too much stuff.

Essentially, deal with it while it’s small before clutter gets out of control.

Recap

As you can see, the best way to keep clutter under control is to stop it from entering your house in the first place.

Take a look at these ideas and then take action.  

It’s time to establish these habits in your home.

Having a place for all your items helps you to stay on top of things.

By being mindful of your purchases, the next time you notice clearance items, you’ll be more able to resist temptation.   

And, remember, you don’t need to impress others.

Using methods such as donation boxes and setting up a schedule to declutter regularly are some of the easiest ways to get things rolling.

 As a bonus, these tips can be implemented without spending too much money.

So, work on eliminating those bad habits that bring clutter into your space and you can be on the way to enjoying a clutter-free home.