Purging the Things You Own Too Many Of

We are all guilty of excessive stuff.   I definitely was until I KonMari'd my entire life and home.  Most of us don't even realize how much we have until we sit down and gather all the things in a certain category.  So whether you just don't have time to KonMari yet or you don't know where to start - I'm going to help you out today.  


Below is a list of things you probably have too many of and can easily be purged.  You don't have to turn your entire home upside down.  All you have to do is just gather each item up by going through each room quickly, or by checking the common places where an item like this might be (for instance - scissors are usually found in the office, the garage, and the kitchen.) And with each item I'll talk you through the logic that you probably don't need 10 of that one item.

[BRAS]
I only own 2 bras - a nude and a black, but I used to own about 10, in all different colors and they never fit nicely in a drawer.  I ended up only wearing the same 3 because I didn't like digging down for the others.  This also includes sports bras.  Take them all out and put them on the bed.  First take out any that are torn, too worn in, or the wrong size.  You can definitely get rid of those and if you aren't sure if some still fit, try them on!  Then look at all the colors and types. Are there cheaper ones you don't like wearing? Are there any colors that just don't blend in under any color top, so you seriously wear it once a year? Get rid of it! Your lingerie drawer will thank you! 

[UNDERWEAR]
Just like bras, underwear can be stuffed so far into a drawer that you only end up wearing the same ones week after week (after washing of course).  Dump your drawer out and go through one by one.  First pitch any underwear with rips, tears, or really bad stains.  Then look at the ones that you don't wear often and ask yourself why.  Are they ugly? Not comfy? Whatever the reason, ask yourself if it's worth keeping or not.  When you're done and you put them back in your drawer you'll be impressed by the extra space you have.

[SOCKS]
Socks are another thing that we keep wearing even when they are beat up and have holes.  A good rule of thumb is that when you take them off for the night, before throwing them in the hamper, check to make sure there are no holes. If there are, pitch 'em! Anyways, look at all your socks and then get rid of the ones that are uncomfortable or itchy and any that are excessively stretched. 

[SCISSORS]
Pretty much everyone at one point in their life has about 10 pairs of scissors.  Go from room to room, checking drawers and desks until you have gathered all the scissors.  Then decide if you really need them all. One pair is always good for the kitchen, one for the office, and if you have kids, kid scissors generally go in each of their rooms.  It's easy to purge crappy scissors if you check a few things. Are the blades still sharp? And is it coated with glue or some other sticky substance that makes it hard to use? Of course you can wash them off but sometimes they are just too far gone. 

[TAPE]
Why is it that you always find tape in random places but whenever you actually need it in a rush, it's nowhere to be found?  That's why I highly suggest you gather all of your tape and then redistribute throughout the house.  I have some in the office, some in the kitchen, and if you have kids, obviously the kids rooms will need them.  But also, the excess tape should go in one spot like a utility closet or the office. This way, you don't buy more and more tape because you'll know where to go to use up your current stock first.

[PENS]
Pens pens everywhere! The bulk of your pen supply should be in the office.  I always leave a couple in the kitchen but that's it.  Gather pens from every room and drawer and then dump them all out on the floor. Go through one by one, testing to make sure they work, and throwing out any crappy ones.  Then put them all back in the central office location and just keep a few good ones in your kitchen utility drawer. I actually have mine hanging on the fridge with little stick pen holders I got on ebay!

[NAIL FILES]
These are the type of thing that everyone needs in a hurry so we tend to grab one and then stash it somewhere.  My rule is to keep one in each room.  One in the bedroom by my vanity, one in the bathroom near the nail clippers, and one in my purse.  Throw away the worn out ones and keep your main supply in one location (mine are in the vanity).

[MAKEUP]
We always own more makeup than we need or use. Sometimes it's a freebie or a gift or sometimes we just graduate to nicer brands and different colors. Go through and throw out all of your old unused makeup (because it's probably expired anyways) and then organize your remaining makeup into piles like eye liner, shadows, foundations, etc.  Don't be surprised if you have 10 items in each pile.  Now you can either store all of these in a plastic bin in a bathroom and it can be your "shopping bin" before you buy new makeup from the store (hint hint you waste money when you buy new before checking current stock) or you can purge through and get rid of the ones you don't really like.

[MEDICINE]
Most of us have multiple bathrooms in our home so take all the over the counter medications and first aid supplies and lay it out on a counter. Also, if you keep medicine in the kitchen, grab that as well. Then, throw out anything that's expired.   Next, figure out what you want in each room.  I keep a first aid kit in the main bathroom we use and then we have our medications in that same bathroom as well. My daily prescription meds are in the kitchen but you have to keep stuff in the same place permanently or else you'll find yourself in a situation where you're frantically looking for it.

[TUPPERWARE]
You are all SO guilty of hoarding Tupperware and food storage containers so don't even say you aren't.  No wonder you can't find the matching lid to have of the containers you own! Take EVERYTHING out and place it on the kitchen counter.  Match every lid and container together. Then go through and ask yourself how much you actually use and how much you really need of everything.  This is also the ideal time to pitch the ones that are cracked, warped, or stained.  I'm sure you have plenty of nicer ones that were shoved in the bottom of your drawer just begging to be used. And the new rule is - don't buy any new containers!

[SHEETS & LINENS]
If you open any random person's linen closet they'll probably be embarassed because they have sheets and towels crunched into a corner.  Take EVERYTHING out of your linen closets (all of them) and lay it out on the bed.  How many extra sheets do you need.  I recommend 1 set for each specific bed in your home.  Get rid of any excess that are faded or worn and then refold them all very nicely and keep in one main linen closet.  As for towels, leave an extra set in each bathroom (if you have a linen closet in there) and take the grubby ones and either donate to an animal shelter or cut up to use as cleaning rags.

[EMPTY VASES]
We all get them, and we store them away thinking we will use them again but when do you ever get 10 vases worth of fresh flowers?  So take them all out and go through one by one.  Keep one in each size and get rid of any plastic ones, cracked ones, or just plain ugly ones.  You can donate these as well but some people go as far as spray painting and using as storage in another room or just regular room decor.

[DRINKWARE]
Take it all out of the cupboards and anywhere else you have it tucked away then go through by category.  First go through your mugs and get rid of any cheapo ones you don't use or are too small to hold a full cup in the morning (I have those!).  Wine glasses and shot glasses can be paired down as well. Then look at your regular glasses and anything you never use, or is an awkward size, consider donating.   This is one of those cases where the most commonly used ones stay in front and are rotated only amongst them selves.  Which is why you'll likely discover that you aren't too fond of the drinkware shoved in the back of the cupboard anyways.

Now, do you feel a little bit more motivated to purge the rest of your stuff? I bet you do!  Hopefully you feel a lot better and more organized!

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