AARP NEWS YOU CAN USE: Decluttering doesn’t have to be traumatic

by Joyce Bucciantini

Just as April showers bring May flowers, the summer season brings a bumper crop of garage sale signs. Summer Saturday mornings are filled with savvy shoppers hunting for the best treasures. A win-win for the shoppers and the sellers.

Yet, for some of us, garage sales are a reminder that other people have steadfastly cleaned their garages and decluttered their homes, while I, to my shame, have not.

Whether people are downsizing their homes or looking to declutter, it turns out that getting rid of stuff is really hard to do. According to move.org, Americans spend an average of $200 a month renting storage spaces, adding up to over $2,000 a year to store our seldom-used belongings. Even though decluttering or downsizing might be daunting, that work could pay off with real savings to our monthly budgets. Additionally, getting rid of unused items frees up room for things that we do use and can create a feeling of mental ease in our newly cleaned spaces.

The internet is awash with suggestions for letting go of our treasured items; you have only to enter “decluttering” in any search engine to get a sense of the volume! Many of the suggested approaches are useful, but the process of clearing out our things can still be overwhelming.

However, the AARP webpage, Downsizing and Decluttering Resources, has some very practical recommendations. Start small by selecting one space to declutter. Next, organize the items into a few categories: things to keep, sell, donate, or toss. Starting small keeps the project manageable and allows the categories guide our decisions about what to keep. Technology can be a space saver for scanning and digitizing old documents and photos eliminating some paper storage. Lastly, enlisting the help of family members can be useful when it comes to deciding what to do with sentimental items. Maybe someone really does actually want Grandma’s old china.

Decluttering or downsizing doesn’t have to be such a traumatic experience after all. Breaking decluttering down into small steps makes the process more manageable. Benefits include increased living space, budget savings, mental ease, and satisfaction from knowing old items will be put to new use. I am not saying that I would ever have a garage sale, but I could feel less guilty when I drive by one. Maybe I’ll start with a closet.

Joyce Bucciantini is a retired middle school educator. She currently coordinates Delta Kappa Gamma’s Read to Me program, is a tutor with Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin, and is an active AARP Maine volunteer. She enjoys her gardens, being outdoors and traveling.