Throw 1 Thing Out A Day

I started something in 2012 when I decided I had too much clutter in the house. I decided to throw out at least 1 item per day. I printed out a calendar and wrote what I threw out that day. It did add up quickly. I stopped in March 2013 as it is easy to forget about it. In January my Dad passed and now we are clearing out his house. It is amazing how much stuff can accumulate over 34 years he was in the house. It has taught me to keep clutter to an absolute minimum. It has also taught me about how much time is spent accumulating things. I spend time researching items and then buying them only to find out they are not really used that much. Now I have to find a way to get rid of them and take a loss too. This is where I am now back to my "Throw 1 Thing Out A Day" plan. I plan to make up for all the months I missed in 2013 which means instead of throwing out 30 items per month, I will throw out around 50 or more. I also have a great reminder from my Dad's house to just not buy things that are really not needed in the first place. It is hard to part with some things since there are family attachments to some items. But if stuff is just out of sight, not used, and collecting dust it becomes just clutter. It does feel good to get rid of unnecessary things. We have a small home and it is good to have lots of space left that does not need to be filled up. Also if we move, it won't be as hard to pack up. Another idea that I use is to create a "30 Day Buy List". If I find I want to buy something, I will put on the list. If after 30 days I still really need it, then I will research it more and get it. If not, it will get crossed off the list as not needed.