The Hidden Cost of Clutter

Clutter is costing you more than you realize.

Today we're looking at why clutter is costing you, the various types of clutter and how you can work to reduce or eliminate clutter and live a thriving life with less junk.

Clutter gets the best of us sometimes. There is kitchen counter clutter and bedroom clutter that happens on a weekly (or sometimes daily) basis that just seems to be part of life. But how do you know when clutter is affecting your life has become a serious problem?

Clutter becomes a problem when it is more than just a nuisance. Never-ending piles of things affect you in ways we may not realize.

Our tagline here at Thrive Ministries is “Weeding the past, watering the present, growing the future” or for short – weed, water, grow. Weeding is getting rid of that which holds you back. It can be spiritual, emotional or physical. It's old mindsets, old memories and old junk lying in the corners.

My passion to stay weeded took root when we lost our house and most of our contents in 2012 after a car accident caused our house to catch fire. We lost everything from our attic, about 60% of our second floor and 40% of our first-floor contents.  Hard as that sounds, I'm thankful fo it. It really secured in my spirit that our family is a family because of the people, not the things. Gathering up things in a box on a street in a town on this Earth is nothing. Nothing. It will all be washed away one day.

I'm not anti “stuff” nor am I a hardcore minimalist. I do know that too much stuff costs us deeply, often in ways we don't realize.

What Clutter Costs You

#1- Clutter costs you money

When any part of your home is disorganized and full of unnecessary stuff, it is going to cost you money. If you have pantry shelves stocked with stuff but have no idea what you have, chances are you'll guy by more. The financial aspects of this can be frightening.  Many times people save things because they feel it might be needed down the road. This is not a bad idea, except when the saving gets excessive and you cannot find what you might need anyway. If you can't find what you know you have, having it doesn't matter and it costs you money.

#2 – Clutter costs you time

Clutter affects your life by sucking time away from you in small bits. Can't find the other shoe because there are a thousand things piled in your closet (none of which belong there)?  Or maybe you can't find the keys on the way out the door because the place you normally lay them is piled high with…..stuff.

Not only does clutter cost you time when you're looking for things, but clutter can also cost you precious family and quality time with the ones you love because you're too busy managing things.

#3 – Clutter costs you brain power

Physical clutter can overload your senses and reduce creativity. In fact, dealing with too much clutter can spike stress hormones. Sitting in a cluttered room distracts you from the task at hand and in the back of your mind, the clutter is always present, calling for your attention. Not to mention how mental clutter affects you!

#4 – Clutter costs you peace

When clutter causes stress it steals our peace and preoccupies our mind. Your home doesn't have to look like a magazine cover but walking into your house or even into the kitchen first thing in the morning should not take your peace. Too much stuff sitting around will keep you on edge.

We're going to explore deeper into clutter and how to manage it. We'll spend time talking about the 3 types of clutter and how to work toward ridding yourself of all three of them.

If you're ready to eliminate clutter for good, check out Downsizing 31. My good friend Brenda Mason will guide you through the decluttering process one step at a time. And her book, The 31-Day Guide to Creating Your Clutter Free Home Oasis is a must-have!

How has clutter affected your life?