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.