The True Cost of Clutter: Is it Impacting Your Savings?
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission, at no cost to you, when you choose to use the links provided. See the Disclosure Policy for more information.
What's the true cost of clutter? Is all of your extra stuff actually impacting your savings? Some sneaky ways your clutter might be costing you.
Are you stockpiling “perfectly good stuff” that you might need one day? It seems wasteful to get rid of things you have that are still useable. But, could the stuff that you’re hanging on to actually be costing you?
Absolutely.
The Cost of Clutter
- Is your basement or attic filled with stuff? What if it was empty? You could use the space as a place to pursue your hobbies. Or, you could even rent it out to a tenant and make money off of that space. It could become a home office for a lucrative home-based business. The possibilities are endless.
- Extra payments. Do you have a storage unit that you’re filling with stuff? (We did!) Imagine what you could do with the extra money you’re spending on the storage unit. We pay about $60/month for our small storage unit. That’s $720 a year. To store our junk. That’s enough for us to go on a pretty sweet vacation.
- Too-big living spaces. Could you live in a smaller home if you didn’t have so much stuff? Downsizing to a smaller home could save you money on mortgage or rent payments, but it could also save you money on utilities, taxes, and upkeep.
- Energy and time. The more stuff you have, the more you have to maintain. You have to clean around it, dust it, and make sure it’s in good repair. Or you end up ignoring the stuff, it gets gross, and it stresses you out.
- Moving costs. If you have to move to a new home, you’ll pay for your stuff again. Most cross-country moves are billed based on weight. The more stuff you’ve got, the more it’s going to weigh. Even if you move yourself, you’ll have to rent a bigger truck, make more trips, spend more time, and recruit more friends to help you. It’s a lot of hassle for stuff that’s not doing anything for you.
How to Start Decluttering
If you're ready to take charge and start decluttering, grab the free decluttering checklists below.
More Decluttering Resources
- How to Declutter and Organize Your Space
- Declutter and Organize with 10-Minute Tasks
- 10 Things That Happen When You Start to Declutter
Is your clutter costing you? Feel like getting rid of the clutter? Check out this Decluttering 101 post to help you get started.
New to this community? Start here, friend!
Don’t forget buying things twice because you have so much junk you can’t find anything…
Absolutely, Jennifer!
This is the struggle at my house!!! Our garage is so terrible that we buy things twice! It’s gotten so bad that when my neighbors stop by I make sure they only come in through our front door by dead bolting the garage door. I have labeled myself a clean freak since I was a child but a busy life with my husband and two kiddos has me totally overwhelmed!
Hi Jenny! Don’t despair! It’s totally normal to be overwhelmed by everything we have to do. If you have time, you can start going through the stuff in your garage. But, if you don’t, it will be there waiting for you when you’re ready.
My house is full of twin things, especially DVD’s. The sad thing is you know you have something but just can’t find it. Totally aggravating!
I know what you mean! Especially when you know you have two of them. 🙂
Perfect reasons. It should be the other way around, get some cash for that clutter! Thanks for such a concise and straightforward advice!
Thanks, Flavia!