Did you know that saving items you don’t use or need is actually costing you? The costs are not only financial but emotional and relational too. You may think that the cost of reorganizing, whether it’s with an expert organizer or doing it yourself, is too high, but think about how the clutter is costing you every day.
Financially
Late bills: One of the easiest ways to accumulate clutter is with paper. It comes in the mail, home from school with the kids, and other various ways. Clutter is caused by delayed decision making and paper is the biggest culprit. Sorting the mail and automatically throwing out junk or the extra inserts in bills will help cut that down quickly. Create a space close to where you would pay bills to put papers that need action, we like to put them by the computer. Take the time, once a week, to take care of the stack. Once the action needed is complete, file or throw out the paper. This will help you get your bills paid on time so no more late fees!
Duplicate purchases: Batteries, flashlights, light bulbs… you might need something quickly but you don’t think you have it so you run to the store and buy it. Guess what? You had 3 packs of batteries, 4 flash lights, and 5 light bulbs throughout your house but you didn’t know that because they were not all together or they were hiding under your clutter. Has this ever happened to you?
Lost square footage: Having trouble getting rid of things that might be of value? We always get clients that say “I can’t get rid of that, it’s worth a lot of money.” What they aren’t thinking about is how much it is costing them to hold onto it. Every square foot of your home costs you money and if those spaces are filled with clutter then you aren’t using the space you are paying for. The stuff in the garage is costing you $20,000 because you can’t park your car in it! Think of your clutter as a roommate, it is taking up space in your home but is not paying rent to live there. Would you let someone do that to you? If not, don’t do it to yourself or your family members.
Time: Have you heard the term “Time is Money”? Well that is what we are talking about here. Everyone’s time is valuable and we have a limited amount of it each day. Now think about the amount of time you get delayed because of the clutter in your house. It may only be an extra couple of minutes here and there but it adds up! Your clutter is keeping you from doing other things that could be of more value like working or spending time with family and friends.
Emotionally
Clutter keeps us from living in the present. Clutter is a visual reminder of chaos that can start your day off badly or not allow you to relax after a hard day at work. Being disorganized can be emotionally draining and have an effect on daily life. Order brings peace by clearing your space and in turn allowing your mind to be at ease.
Relationally
Clutter can make all aspects of our lives unorganized which has an effect on our relationships with people both inside and outside the home. Your family members might have issues with the disorganization which doesn’t allow them to enjoy their home. Clutter can also prevent you from having people over because you don’t want them to see the state it is in.
The cost to clear the clutter is much lower than the effects it has on your daily life and the increased burden it will bring in the future. Creating order will not only save you time and money, it will help you build better relationships and help you manage other aspects of your life in a more organized and timely manner. Checkout our other Order U posts for tips on how to get organized yourself or call us today for help.
