10 objections to decluttering
Do you have a list of worries about decluttering? What if you make a mistake and get rid of something you later change your mind about? What if you feel pressured into getting rid of something you don’t want to? Well worry no more as these objections to decluttering are answered below.
What if I get rid of it and then I need it?
This is one of the most common objections to decluttering. The likelihood that you will need something after you let it go is low. But if you do, you have options open to you
- Find something else you own that could do the job / improvise
- Get it for free/ inexpensively
- Borrow it
- Get it for free from Freecycle
- Buy it secondhand
- Buy it again
Yes option 3 does cost money, but if you declutter 100 things and only have to buy back one, then the cost of buying it back isn’t just for the object. It’s a price you are paying towards your less cluttered life.
And don’t forget there is a cost to owning things you don’t need – the time and effort needed to navigate around them. Plus the space that they occupy costs money (the amount you are paying in rent / mortgage for the space). This cost becomes even more obvious if you are renting out a storage unit to store excess stuff.
An eco objection to decluttering is that it’s a waste / bad for the environment if I throw it away
It’s a waste if you keep something and don’t use it. A waste of that object, a waste of the space in your home that it is taking up. If you eat food that you aren’t hungry for, you don’t stop the waste, you carry it around on your body instead. Sometimes the waste has already happened and it’s time to admit to yourself that you can’t prevent it whatever you do.
Also you don’t have to throw everything away – you can declutter the zero waste way.
I can’t let go of it because it would be rude to whoever gave it to me
Everyone has received an unwanted gift from time to time. I bet whoever gave you that gift, has also got rid of something that someone gave them. And a lot of people might not even mind. If it doesn’t fit, you don’t have a use for it or a place for it, or you simply don’t like it, then it is ok to let it go.
Also if you want to avoid getting an unwanted gift in the first place then here are 10 ways to put a stop to them.
I’ve owned it for such a long time I would be throwing away my history and that feels wrong
You are not alone with this objection to decluttering. However imagine that object belonged to someone else. How do you feel about it when you strip out the historic connection? Is it beautiful? Does it have a practical or aesthetic purpose? Would you spend money on it now? How important is that historic connection to you?
Sometimes I find that when it’s hard to let go of something I hold onto it. But then I look at it again on the next round of decluttering and perhaps even a round after that and it is easier to let go of.
And sometimes I just hold onto things from my past and that’s ok too, but the key is – do you have the space for it physically and mentally in your home?
I spent a lot of money on it, so I should keep it
The money you spent on an object is a sunk cost. Basically, you’ve spent the money and you aren’t getting it back. Whether you keep the item or get rid of it, the money is gone. What you are left with is an item and if that item is no longer something you need or want, holding onto it, isn’t bringing your money back (unless you can sell it for as much as you bought it).
I don’t want to be a minimalist
Decluttering doesn’t make you a minimalist. It just means that you are getting rid of things that you don’t need and want. And that you keep everything you need, want and have space for. You are in charge of what stays and what goes.
I’m saving it for when I have time to use it
I used to have a bundle of fabric and I thought it might come in useful at some point. But I felt pressured that I should make something with it and I didn’t have any need for it. I realised that if I did want to make something I would get the fabric that I needed for that particular project. So I gave the fabric to charity and haven’t missed it at all. The last time I wanted to make something from fabric, I cut up an old pair of jeans that was headed for the recycling.
I don’t need it, but there is nothing wrong with it/ it’s pretty, so I object to decluttering this item
Just because it’s pretty or barely used it doesn’t mean you need to have it in your home. There are lots of pretty things in the world and useful things too, but most of them belong in other places and that’s ok.
I’m going to mend it/ fix it.
Are you? If you have a pile of things to fix that is a mile high, do you really have the time to work through it? If you do then great or if not then you could get help. Another option is to cut yourself some slack, let this lot go and then mend things in future as they come up rather than building up a big pile.
It will come in useful at some point
As I’ve mentioned before you can’t save something from going to waste by keeping it, or even using it if it isn’t what you really need. Perhaps some jam jars will come in useful, but it’s not your responsibility to save every jam jar you come into contact with. Or perhaps you have a bunch of things that you rescued from someone else’s decluttering session, but you didn’t really need them. You are allowed to have things that you like, want and choose in your home and you don’t have to keep every freebie that comes your way.
Does this cover all your objections to decluttering? Or are there some I have missed? Get in touch and let me know if there are any other worries that you may have about the process.