4 Ways To Declutter For The New Year

The New Year is the perfect time to declutter and get rid of the things you no longer use, but seem to sit around year after year just taking up space. Other things don't take up space, but still invade your space and waste your time. All of these things are things that should be booted from your life. What better time than the New Year to declutter and claim your space?

1. Unsubscribe from newsletters

Over the years you have probably subscribed to many newsletters. Newsletters can be wonderful if you actually read them. How many times do you simply go to your inbox and delete newsletters without even opening them? If this is something you find yourself doing, unsubscribe from those newsletters. Your inbox will be a lot emptier and you won't be deleting useless items constantly.

If you are receiving magazines or newspapers that you never read, cancel them or don't renew. There's no reason to pay for something that ends up being clutter, taking up valuable space because you don't want to throw them away until you find time to read them, which may never happen.

2. Recycle boxes

Do you have boxes taking up space? Boxes from a move 10 months ago or shoeboxes with nothing in them, it's time to get rid of them all. You never realize how much space boxes, even small boxes, can take up until you actually get rid of them. If you haven't used the boxes to store anything by now, you won't need them anytime soon. Remember that it's not hard to find boxes should you need them. You don't have to stockpile them for years.

3. Clean out the fridge, freezer, cupboards and closets

These areas of the house accumulate a lot of items that are forgotten about. Look through your fridge for expired condiments. If you have bottles with only a drop left, toss them out. If you have a full bottle of something that expired, don't put that item on your list to buy, since you obviously don't use it. Go through your freezer and check what meals you've frozen over the last few months and make a plan to eat them soon. This not only declutters your freezer, but saves you a bit of money next time you grocery shop. Throw out any if-y items. Cupboards and drawers tend to get filled with things we quickly forget about. Go through them and toss out any old items. Organize your cupboards so you can see what spices you have. When you can see things, you are more likely to use them. If you have a junk drawer, clean it out. You'll most likely toss much of what you find in there, but if you want to save items, make sure you put them where they belong.

Have you noticed that often we fill up our closets and dressers with things we DON'T use so then the things we DO use get left out in a mess where we can never find them? If you have clothes you haven't worn in the last season, donate them to charity and get rid of them. You will feel good about the donation and you will have room to keep the clothing you do use in neat condition, organized where you can find them.

4. Throw out old electronics

When you bought your new TV, DVD player or game system, did you shove the old one in a corner to be forgotten? If these items no longer work, you can recycle them. If they work, but you're not using them any longer, you can sell or donate them. They are doing their worst work sitting in a corner of your house or in the back of a closet. Unused items, electronic or not, do nothing but take up space and get more outdated.

It's hard to part with some things, especially those with meaning. But when you realize that keeping these things is weighing you down and making your life harder than it needs to be, you'll know that decluttering has to be done. At first after you get rid of things you've been holding on to, you'll likely feel a loss. But as you start to experience the result of more space and organization, there will be a sense of relief and feeling of accomplishment, and self respect for doing something that needed to be done for a long time. The lack of clutter gives a feeling of freedom and you'll feel happy about being organized.

Before the New Year, start decluttering your life and your space. Don't make a resolution (that may fall by the busy wayside), just DO IT. It's the perfect way to start a brand new year.