Imagine walking into a home where everything has its place. No more frantic searches for lost items, no more wasted money on duplicates, no more guilt-inducing piles of paper. Sound impossible? It's not.
Clutter has a way of sneaking up on us. There’s the endless stream of bills, catalogs, warranties, and—for those of us with kids—homework, artwork, and papers to sign. Then, there are those documents that you feel like you should keep, but you’re not really sure why. And that’s just the paper clutter! Let’s not even get into our closets, which may or may not have a prom dress/threadbare concert tee/jeans that fit perfectly (well, they did in 2018) tucked away in a back corner. Or the random and curious array of items in America’s junk drawers, which will undoubtedly be a reality show sometime soon.
We’re not here to judge what anyone holds onto or why. Our goal is to show how clutter can silently drain your wallet and how you can actually save money by getting rid of things.
Surprising ways that clutter costs money
- Duplicate purchases: In this classic clutter tale, you spend hours searching for something—a pair of scissors, the cordless drill, your special-occasion outfit. When it doesn’t appear, you buy a replacement. This can cost hundreds of dollars each year. However, when you declutter and give everything a designated home, you’ll save money, time, and, best of all, peace of mind.
- Forgotten meal kits at the back of the fridge: Each year, the average family of four tosses out $1,500 worth of food. Those uneaten leftovers, expired condiments, and never-used impulse buys aren't just taking up space—they're literally throwing money in the trash. Decluttering your kitchen and adding smart storage solutions can dramatically cut the costs of food waste.
- Late fees, lost invitations, and missed opportunities: These days, incoming mail can quickly get out of hand. If you don’t deal with it immediately, that pile of “I need to get to that” turns into a mountain of work—a mountain you find yourself avoiding even more. From there, misplaced bills become late fees, and lost invitations lead to missed events. Creating a system for your paperwork saves money and maybe some hurt feelings, too!
- Storage costs: Over the years, it’s easy to acquire so much stuff that it takes a storage unit to handle the overflow. If you can find space for these things in your home or elsewhere, you’ll save around $50 - $250 a month in storage rental fees. Remember, it doesn’t have to be right away. Set a realistic deadline to give yourself something to aim for.
A roadmap for your decluttering journey
If you’re ready to start decluttering, we have a few tips to help you get started.
- Find a decluttering app, podcast, or book that motivates you. There are plenty of options available, from books like Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Peter Walsh’s It’s All Too Much to free podcasts like Dana White’s A Slob Comes Clean. Try a few out to see which ones resonate with your life. And if it’s a book, get it from the library as your first act of decluttering.
- Start small but think big: Begin with one drawer or closet, and schedule donation drop-offs to give yourself deadlines. Once you start to see the benefits of having more space, you’ll be excited to keep going.
- Create organizational systems: Keep like items—all batteries, all gift wrap supplies, all device chargers, etc.—together in the same place. Assign a specific home for everything so you’ll always know where to find it.
- Be strategic about letting go: Take photos of sentimental items to ease the release. Get a resale reality check by seeing what similar items sell for on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Then, decide if it’s worth your time to sell it or if donating makes more sense for you.