Over time, many of us will accumulate lots of “stuff”. From a keepsake from high school to a pile of books that have been read and are now collecting dust, our homes can soon become cluttered and full of things that we really don’t need. But as many of us approach the subject of decluttering, the question arises as to what we should and shouldn’t be keeping.

The reason why the majority of people hold onto worthless items is either because they’re sentimental or because they feel they might come in handy at some point. But the truth is, if you haven’t used or looked at something in the last year, the chances are, you’re not going to miss it if you find it a new home. So, perhaps now’s the time to declutter – selling, donating or throwing out unwanted items or perhaps even moving some more important things into storage (an example of a great self storage website can be found here) until you have somewhere to put them.

Here’s where your deacquisitioning can start:

Keepsakes

We’ve all got that box full of “memories” which includes your first ever concert ticket, a lucky charm that someone (although, you can’t remember who) gave you a few years ago, a menu from a restaurant you visited on holiday and the first-ever medal your pet won. But do we actually need all of these things?

Even without them you’ll still remember that first concert you went to, your luck won’t change without the charm, you’ll remember the meal you had at that fancy restaurant and you’ve got photos of your dog winning that award. These are memories that are stored up in your mind, and they will last a lifetime. This stuff, it’s all clutter, and you don’t need it in order to reminisce.

Clothing

Until you start emptying out your drawers and wardrobes, you’ll probably not realize just how much stuff you’ve hoarded over the years. But if you’ve not worn something in the past year, are you really going to be wearing it again in the next year? Keep what you wear regularly and sell, donate or chuck out the rest!

DVDs and CDs

If you’ve got a hard drive and you’re connected to the internet, DVDs and CDs are now redundant. With access to as much music and as many films as you want, these are just more items that are cluttering up the storage space in your home.

Books

The same can be said of books too – with many different devices offering you books at the touch of the button. However, many do still like the feeling of turning the page of a book, and if that’s the case, you’ll want to hold onto some of these. But, you don’t need to hold onto them all.

Instead, go through your books looking at ones that have a sentimental value (e.g. they were a gift) ones that are valuable to you or are signed by the author and ones that you often re-read. What are you left with? A lot of books that are just going to sit there gathering dust for the next however many years? Well, it’s time to get rid of these too! Ask your friends if they want to read them before donating them to charity or taking them to your local second-hand bookstore.

Gadgets

At some point, we all fall victim to the latest gadget that’s been released and one of the places you’ll probably find a lot of these is the kitchen. From bread makers to soda streams, you’ll probably find a number of these must-have gadgets lurking in the cupboard. But it’s time to sort out which ones you need and which ones you can live without.

However, it’s not just these faddy gadgets that you can declutter because the microwave is one larger gadget that you could potentially get rid of. A microwave provides us with some ease when we’re cooking – it quickly reheats those leftovers from the night before and is ideal for a ready meal. But, you’ll get a much better taste if you re-heat these things in the stove and binning the ready meals all together will help to make you a much healthier person.

And finally, just like with all of the other bits and pieces in your home; if you haven’t used something in the last few months, you’ll probably be able to get rid of it without noticing too much!

First Choice Mini Storage is a family-owned self storage facility in Lakeland, Florida. Owners Keith and Robin Aronoff are passionate about their business and serving the local community. They are also owners of Creative Coach Collision Repair and Design Center, located directly across the street from First Choice Mini Storage. Creative Coach serves the motor home community nationwide from its 16,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility with three generations of motor home enthusiasts.

If you have the space for a swimming pool, it can soon get you thinking just how great it would be to take a dip whenever you want, but not everyone in the family might agree that this is a good use of your cash or space, which is why you might have to build a convincing argument in favor of installing one.

When you look at what sort of custom pools you could have in your home, it shouldn’t be too difficult to win any dissenting voices over, but just in case, here are some reasons why having a swimming pool should work for you and your family.

In good company

If you do decide to invest in a swimming pool you will be in good company, as pool ownership is showing a rising trend.

It is no longer viewed as an purchase of aspiration and affluence, although it is always nice to say that you have a pool in your home, but more people are also realizing that having a swimming pool has a number of health benefits, on top of looking aesthetically pleasing in their yard.

If you are thinking about getting a swimming pool built, make yourself a wish list of all the things you want from your pool, which can be anything from the size of the pool, where you want it to be installed, and whether you want it to be a covered pool or not.

Once you made that list, you may well soon be joining the growing ranks of swimming pool owners, once you have ticked all the right boxes and won over any arguments.

A healthier option

Aside from the potential fitness benefits associated with having your own pool, it is also worth considering how using public pools can present a health risk to you and your family.

If you have your own pool, only your family and friends are going to using it. If you are relying on visiting a public pool you simply have no control over who is also using the facilities, which could present a health risk.

Can you trust someone who has an infectious skin condition or an illness to keep away from the public pool?

In fairness, many of the public pools operate very strict health and safety regimes, with proper water maintenance. But this involves using a high level of chemicals to reduce the health hazards, and when you discover that some pathogens have an ability to avoid the impact of chlorine, it is far more comforting to use a pool in your own home where you know who and what has gone into the water.

If you think that the health risks of public pools is overplayed, consider the published public health records of a number of major states, which revealed that well over 75% of their inspections revealed at least one health violation.

Great exercise

Another convincing argument in favor of getting your own pool, is the fact that you are providing the family with a great source of exercise that benefits all ages.

Swimming is renowned for giving you the sort of full body workout that is so difficult to obtain with the majority of other sporting pursuits. By exercising in water, which is such a buoyant and supportive environment, you will be able to exercise many of your muscles at the same time, without the sort of stress on your joints or impact, that you can experience with some other activities.

Even someone with relatively limited mobility can get an excellent workout in the swimming pool and if you are looking at getting yourself as fit as possible, the pool is also a really good place to test yourself and get into proper cardiovascular shape.

Quality family time

We all lead such busy lives these days, so another good reason for considering a pool is the fact that it is an activity that everyone seems to enjoy, allowing you to get together as a family and have some quality time, enjoying playing and exercising in the water.

You could even use the pool to teach your children to swim in a supervised environment, and the prospect of some awesome pool parties for all of your friends to come and share your facility, makes the idea of having a swimming pool even more tempting.

When you start to look at all of the benefits attached to having your own pool, all that is left to decide is what size you are going to have and where it is going to be fitted.

Chris Griffin has owned & operated his own business since he was 12 years old. A self-motivated entrepreneur, Chris has experienced many different things in life. A high school stand-out in academics & athletics, he entered the University of New Mexico with a full-ride athletic scholarship. While at New Mexico, he obtained his degree in Civil Engineering, as well as several athletic accomplishments (Honorable Mention All WAC Tight End 1994 & 1995, Team Captain 1995, Drafted 6th Round New England Patriots Tight End 1996, Jacksonville Jaguars Tight End/Fullback 1996 1997) After a short NFL Career, Chris continued his lawn & garden company in Albuquerque, NM, where he quickly grew his company from just 2 employees to over 50. By 2001, he expanded his business into the rapidly growing & highly-regarded Arizona market. Today, he owns one of the TOP landscape & pool companies in Arizona (AZ Business Magazine Ranked #1 Landscape Company & #3 Pool Company). While continuing to grow his business, he takes all the time he can to spend with his family of 6! While not at work, you can usually find him at football or baseball practice, where he coaches his two older boys. He’s also active as a Cub Scout Den Leader, where he loves teaching his boys what he learned as a Boy Scout. His time spent with his two younger girls are usually swimming, camping, soccer, reading or just hanging with Dad!