declutter more to buy more: the buy and declutter cycle is out of control 

Not decluttering any of my 10 blushes keeps me from even considering any new makeup. It takes so long to use. I think if I decluttered, I would be tempted by some newer items. When I want a blush, I automatically ask “why don’t you use 1 of the 10 that you already have?” and the desire fades fast.

Thank GOD someone is adressing this issue. Its a kind of behavior that bothers me greatly. Not the declutter, but the mentality of throwing away just to buy more and the planet is the the one paying the bill

I fell for the “aggressively get rid of stuff you’re not using” trap and decluttered a really sentimental item a few years back. I’ve regretted it ever since and still think about it to this day. Even if in the moment you feel like it’s not useful, you could be holding onto it for other reasons that should be valued.

The way my jaw dropped when you talked about “imagine if you had to keep every item you’ve ever owned”. Such an important perspective.

I immediately stop declutter videos when the 20 dollar rule comes up. Just getting rid of things just because it does not cost much to rebuy them if you need them is just ridiculous!

The "why are we trying to get rid of everything when we aren't going to change how we shop" is sooo true!!! Like that's great you got rid of 20 eyeshadow palettes because you don't use them... but you are buying 30 more so you'll just get rid of those other ones you kept next time? Like I don't get it. I buy stuff with the intent of using it.. I really don't understand why people even keep getting stuff then. And the "well this is my job to buy this stuff" narrative bullshit is so old. Like nah you just like to waste money and show everyone you have more disposable incone.

My reason for decluttering my "luxury" bag collection is shame. I didn't use them. I spent too much money. I learned that im too easily influenced. I'm so glad I was able to sell them at a decent price. Another great video🎉

I call it being bulimic with stuff; binge and purge, binge and purge. I am working on less binge, and trying to actually use up the stuff I have. The biggest issue I have with getting rid of stuff is that I want it to go to good homes, and I end up holding onto things trying to find that new home, and putting way too much thought into this item. I had to set a rule for myself that it could go to a close friend/family member within a few days, it has to go to the thrift shop (small, local church run shops). I have seen RU-vidrs who review an item they were sent, then say they don't need it and run a giveaway in the comments, "Comment ME!! and I'll send it to you" type things.

i just did a huge closet clean and omg the way i went straight to online shop…. luckily only got 2 things but you’re making me rethink so much

I’m guilty of decluttering things just to buy them again. Sometimes I learn from mistakes and force myself to buy better quality and fewer items. But sometimes I trick myself into thinking I’ve learned a lesson when in reality I’m just lost. Lost regarding what my style is, what my values are etc

My Mercari sales and purchase history feels like a textbook illustration of this cycle

I consume a lot of knitting content, and i’ve noticed this with a lot of the destashing videos some people put up. I really enjoy the ones where they use the yarn in their stash to destash it, and use it as gifts, though!

I've unfollowed a couple 'minimalists' as soon as I realized they were just in a consuming cycle. Usually for the new! and shiny! They're not trying to be consumerist, they often talk about not supporting consumerism, but they are just a bad influence on me.

Minimal Mom is the absolute worst about decluttering, imo. She's so popular and literally tells people to throw their perfectly good items away and not to feel bad about it. Her reasoning is to make it easy on you and thrift stores will likely just throw your stuff away anyway! That upsets me so much, because it's 100% lazy, and as someone who lives in a tiny town where people donate items they SHOULD actually toss (stained, dirty, holey, etc), I'd love to see good items at my thrift store! I also have seen items I've donated in the past. There's no excuse for throwing away perfectly good items. There are always people in need.

i had a shopping addiction and decluttering helped me actually be more aware of what i owned and i feel so much more aware of my clothing, i also now fit and love all of my clothing as well, i definetly buy less now... it helped a lot !!

This is so true. I have noticed people go back to shopping home decor etc.. I've been paranoid about it and have been on a low and no-buy since 2018. Firstly, because it takes me long to declutter specifically because I do not want to re-purchase things. I've fluctuated 40lbs and been grateful I had dozen things that fit me in storage. I would rather revisit a "maybe bin" than risk unnecessary purchases.

So glad someone is finally talking about it! A haul used to be maybe 5 makeup items or say 2 planners, a journal and a pack of pens and highlighters. Now it’s huge boxes of PR which skews what you’ll consider a normal amount to add to cart…. I started decluttering back when Marie Kondo got popular and I loved her book. It really helped me see how much excess shopping I did and doing a few big Marie kondo rounds truly changed my buying habits. Now my home is cluttered with old clothes and toys as my baby grows out of stuff, but there’s local mom groups to locally give that away. But now as everything seems to be getting so expensive, I predict we will start holding onto stuff like the boomer generation felt the need to. Who know!

You've really hit on something here!! The declutter is just one phase of the whole cycle, while masquerading as the natural endpoint of the cycle. I suspect that people truly believe it's the endpoint, but it needs more introspection than that... I know this is something I am still learning...

I recently posted on r/makeuprehab about the whole "makeup is my job" thing. You're right-it DOES feel like a cop-out

I like watching decluttering videos when I need motivation to clean or declutter my own space. On the other side it also reminds me I don’t need to add more stuff. Before I buy something I look to make sure I’m not buying duplicates. Understanding what I love is key to not buying impulsively but of course everything is a learning process.

We had a huge yard sale two years ago with everything I’d saved since getting married 15 years ago. Now whenever we think of buying something (new or used) I ask myself, is this something that will end up at our next yard sale? Usually it is, so I won’t buy it. Now I try to buy long-lasting items or items that can be used for multiple things. We have wood crates and a board used as a desk, that can be rearranged into a table, bedside table, bookshelf etc. If we no longer want it, it can be used as firewood. As long as you’re using decluttering skills when buying AND tossing, it’s a radical change.

Wow! This is spectacular! I “rationalize” my declutters as “Oh, I’ll sell stuff on Mercari or Poshmark to recoup my money”, which I do, but then I turn around and use that money to buy more stuff I do not require. So I’m in this cycle of buy, declutter, sell, repeat. This is a fascinating video. Being autistic and a scientist, I pride myself on being logical. I concede my logic concerning declutters has not been as logical as I would prefer. I am going to go download that article. This video is a legit game changer! I much to noodle on…..

this reminds me also of project pan videos. I like the creators who do project pan with the intent of being mindful of their makeup volume and buying less going forward. But then there are other people who do the challenge just to buy more and more and will be wasteful in order to “use up” the products faster.

Loooove this. I've stopped watching almost all declutters because they honestly make me feel a little queasy at this point. There are some beauty creators who did massive declutters a few years ago, with a sort of "I never want my collection to get this big ever again!" attitude...and then kept regularly receiving and reviewing PR from brands like ColourPop, which obviously meant that their collections ballooned again. Make it make sense. And it's not like those reviews they were doing of excessive PR were even necessarily doing big numbers on their channels! Some people are just stuck in cycles of conflicting habits and desires, they're used to working a certain way, and they think they've changed as people/consumers long before they actually have. Here's hoping that more and more people who say they want smaller collections actually take the steps necessary to have smaller collections WITHOUT massive declutters 😑

So true, the declutters are mostly just an excuse to buy more and consume more, waste more. Often posing falsely like "minimalism". When I first discovered decluttering videos I was shocked - these people themselves saw this as a normal thing that perfectly usable stuff is thrown out. If we buy something new, then responsibility comes with it - it has been produced for us, and the resources have been spent for us. A very good reason is needed for discarding IMO. "Donating" is just feel-good throwing away, as most of this stuff ends on a landfill. Thanks for taking this topic up!

spend the last week watching this kind of content nearly non-stop. a youtuber going into someone's home to help declutter and organize. It has motivated me to get rid of quite a bit of things I've been putting off going though.

I went through a major declutter about five years ago. I was a mid-20's adult moving into a smaller space and still had a lot of stuff from childhood. It was mind-boggling how much stuff I had that I didn't even see. Since then I've been doing better with buying, and I've learned the lesson of 1 item you genuinely like trumps 5 that are just okay. And now I'm having to help my parents do the same thing.

This is the exact topic I'd been hoping you'd make a video on! The entire theme of de-cluttering has gotten out of control. Nearly every influencer in the world of consumable products seems to make these videos with no comment at all on the underlying issue. I'd say I'm even more annoyed by the minimalist influencers who advocate radical, "ruthless" decluttering with little to no mention of overconsumption and excessive shopping habits. I feel they intentionally want to keep people in the buy and de-clutter cycle to keep their own content relevant indefinitely. Even the word "de-clutter" gives me a bad feeling these days. I think people see it as a positive or healthy word that makes them feel better about being wasteful. Much of what's decluttered ends up in the trash, whether it be immediately or after given away or donated. Thrift stores are overwhelmed these days by donations due to the "buy and declutter" culture and end up discarding some donations.

This is SO important! This is a conversation that needs to be had. I decluttered for years and my home is still a mess. Doing a no buy year this year is helping me actually change my habits.

Was really hoping you'd do a video on this 😊most declutters I see give me a headache because they seem to be a band aid for another problem. They actually stress me & make me feel bad even thinking to declutter. I needed to get that out of my head. As you say there's reasons/ occasions declutters make sense. I do have a space issue I needed to address. And I simply bought more than I can use /enjoy in many areas. I stopped buying in multiple areas like jewellery, candles, parfum, bags, nail polish over a year ago or really cut down being much more thoughtful. I did an inventory of my things and I still do own more things than I can give attention too. I want to further cut back but it feels more doable now. I set the task to aim to declutter 20 more items across the board over the next few days. I have items passing through my mind but I just need to sit down and collect them together. The end number doesn't really matter but I need something to give me a goal of sorts

Decluttering my space has been amazing for me. It was eye opening just how much excess I really had. No wonder it was always overflowing. I also realized how many items that I was holding onto because they might be useful one day that I had forgotten I even owned, or were no longer usable. The guilt I felt over buying so many things that I didn't really use made me do a serious reevaluation of future shopping behaviors. My impulse purchases went way down. My house is cleaner, and I feel less anxious in my home. Growing up with a mother who held onto everything, I just thought holding onto everything was normal. 20 years ago I read my first anticlutter book, but I struggled with having more than I really needed, or could ever realistically use. I love online decluttering content. Thanks to watching decluttering influencers I finally have the tools to stay on top of things, before they get out of control. Personal story time. I have a family member who is very environmentally conscious. She will buy second hand, fix and reuse as much as possible. I find that very admirable. She also doesn't want to contribute to the landfill and so she holds onto things that really should be thrown away. Last time I visited her it seemed that in a way her home had become another landfill, because she was just holding onto all of this stuff that was basically trash. When she passes away, hopefully not for a very long time, all of that stuff will just end up in a landfill anyway.

The most decluttering I've ever had to do actually wasn't because of my own habits - when my nan moved in with my parents so they could take care of her, I ended up storing a bunch of stuff for her. When she passed away, I had to deal with everything she left. She was an ardent catalogue shopper back in the day, and never threw anything out. It was a lot, and there was also an extra level of grief because I felt guilty for getting rid of her things. I donated anything useful, but there was so much plastic crap that no-one would ever want.

Loving all the content you're dropping on us lately!

You are so right, decluttering without Intention behind it, doesnt work. I am finally at the point where i am not constantly finding New things to bye. I do not need anything and i now hardly want New things. Decluttering just to bye something New does not bring anything in the long term. I love your content and i really enjoy that you are so young and so much more intentional than i was at your age. I have learned so much from you and other channels. Love it❤

Here was the wild rationalization I did recently. I wanted to try some new cream lip and cheek products but had not used up the old ones. Now I have about 50 makeup items in total, so it's not totally unmanageable, but still. So what did I do? I bought an empty makeup palette so that I could depot my lip and cheek products into "one" palette to count that as one makeup item and then get rid of the individual containers. So I bought new stuff but I had not actually used up the products! Needless to say I loved this rationale and needed to hear it today.

I like watching hoarders buried alive to motivate myself to clean my place and makeup and perfume declutter videos to motivate myself to buy less and use up what I have kind of works for me but yeah we are brainwashed into over consumption as a normal. It’s hard to get out of that mindset agreed 💯

I get what you're saying. This TYPE of decluttering is only available to people with money though, who can buy replacements. I think people who don't have lots of money to burn (many non-influencers lol) do keep things and make them last longer. For people who can't bring in new things, decluttering has a very different vibe.

Omg I literally journaled some thoughts on this days ago because I also wanna talk about this idea! You are 100% right, I think we need to stop taking the idea of "decluttering" as a normal part of the cycle of consumerism. It kind of provides an "acceptable" solution to the unhealthy buying habits that are so rampant in today's society

Hope this conversation becomes more popular. One of my biggest pet peeves about these videos is how people “donate” their stuff to goodwill or somewhere like that when actually just listing it on Facebook marketplace for free would be far better because it would guarantee a real individual person will take responsibility for the item(s). Whereas donation places most of it ends up in the landfill and other problematic places. That and my second most common pet peeve is people buying an entire wardrobe full of brand new hangers. It’s crazy to me because literally you could still get yourself a full matching set of whatever nice hangers you want if you just bought them on Facebook marketplace- I see so many listings for huge boxes of every hanger you can imagine. It bugs me so much that they could totally have the same result and loose nothing by simply getting them secondhand. I’m not huge on blaming individuals for these problems but those two things are the main gripes I can’t help but get irked by whenever I see it, which is a lot.

Thank you for this!!! Someone needed to address this and I’m so glad you did. You’ve been killing it with the videos lately, Shawna!

one of the things that bothers me about declutters is "I am declutting this matte red lipstick because I have too many of the same/I dont like reds or matte/I already have too many lipsticks" then a second later "I will keep this red matte lipstick because I like it" I am like, gurlllll, you just said u dont like this color/matte/has too many..." is very funny to watch the excuse to declutter one thing and keep another (same/similar) thing a sec later 😂 😂

Yeah this is true! I can only relate to the video so much because I’m a hoarder, so the reason I have clutter in the first place is because I keep things that are 2-7 years old because I feel like they can still be used, even though I am NOT wearing a graphic tee from high school to work/my night out or playing with that board game I got for my birthday anymore. But what really resonated with me was the part you said of “learning your lesson”. When grabbing stuff to give away I saw lots of clothes that I thought was nice and would still like to wear, but the reality is I spend most of the week at work, so when I go out I tend to wear the preferred “cute” clothes I have instead of the nice clothes that I haven’t used in 2 years. So for me my lesson was that even though I want to use something, I need to be realistic on how much I can use a certain item in my life, especially when there’s other items that compete for that use. I feel like this relates to the issue you mentioned about makeup. Even if someone STILL loves cream blushes and wants to use them, some blushes will be chosen over the others and ultimately the others can go unused until 1. They expire or 2. You already gained a preference for a specific blush that you don’t want to use the others anymore.

New subscriber from the UK here. I just wanted to say it’s really heartening to hear such critical thinking on the vacant consume/declutter/consume video phenomena. Excellent thought provoking content, thank you.

This is without doubt the best video I have ever seen regarding decluttering. As someone who, dare I say, is pretty much addiicted to decluttering videos and has spent years constantly decluttering my home! This digs deep and finally touches on why we are constantly decluttering but it never seems to come to an end! Your video is absolutely brilliant, thank you!!! You have really made me think differently and the reasons behind it all, such as boredom of items, constantly thinking there is something better, never really knowing your style or what you like, plus constantly being bombarded with adverts and influencers telling us about the latest must haves, even though we may already own something similar that meets our needs, those soon get tossed aside as the lastest and greatest trend or thing that promises to change our life for the better enters our home. It's just a vicious cycle!! Everything you mentioned is so so true! The key is stopping it at at sorce and using and appreciating what you have, giving yourself time to think about what you need, rather than an impulsive want! Thank you for opening my eyes! Xx

I've been on a "decluttering journey" for the past 6 months or so (triggered by never knowing when I might have to suddenly move). I've decluttered 30 years worth of "stuff". Now the challenge is trying to balance upgrading my former "bad buys" into things I actually like and use versus just acquiring more "stuff" I don't need. It's definitely easier said than done.

This is so true. By decluttering we legitimize overconsumption. It’s like you don’t have to think way too much about what and why you’re buying, because in case you don’t like it, you can always get rid of things and purchase 10 more. I also used to be like that, I was so driven by the whole makeup industry to try new releases and find the best products for myself and later on I just passed it on to my mom. But after couple years of that strategy she asked me to help her declutter makeup drawer and I found out that at least 30% of everything I gave her she barely touched. So instead of finding things a new loving home I was just cluttering someone else’s space and shifted responsibility for the things to another person. So now I decided that I have to thoroughly explore the reviews of the product I want to buy and at least see if that suits my skin type, the color is approachable and so on. Also be more conscious about where I could pass it on if I end up not liking. I found out that the best option is to sell it, even for a very low price. Because if you give it away for free, people don’t appreciate it and might just take for the collection, even if they know they’re never gonna use it. And I am trying to stop purchasing things just to try, not attempting to use up. In case you’re interested in textures, colors and so on, you can go to makeup store and test it out. Unfortunately, I don’t have a chance to do so, because I live in a small city meanwhile having only one tiny makeup store so 90% I order online. But still there’s a tip for that: I discovered which textures I like and try to identify that in pictures, reviews and videos. One more tip, if you see some cool item in a video, check out comment section, cause usually there’re people sharing honest reviews, while most of the bloggers just have a commission on your purchase.

I go through these declutter problems so often, working on slowing this down. I realized that I would buy and give away things because they wouldn't match what was already owned (not having enough solid colored tops vs. colorful pants). I recently bought black and white shirts that are mostly made of cotton and I am very pleased that these will go with EVRYTHING in my wardrobe! I prefer the feeling of not thinking too hard when pairing outfits together

9:45 it sounds like describing a “bingeing and purging” cycle of consumption

I am currently on a huge declutter mission: it's the first sine i moved into the apartment 5 years ago and it feels therapeutic! It started with the closet since i gained weight, but i also analysed why i hate half of my clothes and what i actually like to wear. This declutter process is very intentional, it takes a long time, but it feels so good!

Your video was in my recommended and I have NEVER thought about decluttering in this way. This is so so interesting to me & I am happy I found your video! I must say I find watching these declutter videos so satisfying even though I never declutter this way myself. Your video has given me so much food for thought :)

Honest thought - how many people have had a baby or added another baby to their family because it allows them to then shop for all that stuff after they’ve decluttered and realized that they were past all that stuff that goes with babies and little ones. I’ve definitely seen people who can’t seem to bring themselves to get rid of toys or stuffed animals that their children haven’t played with in years because it represents closing that chapter of life.

I find doing an extended no buy in most areas, low buy in other or necessary areas (ie., if I run out of soap or have literally no hair ties at all or not a single pair of functioning sandals), forces me to get creative. I found multiple uses for some of my clothing and makeup items I was struggling to find a use for, and was able to make couch cushion covers, toy kitchen food, my daughter some dresses and her baby dolls matching ones, cloth wipes since we cloth diaper, and even with my makeup, since I’m stringent with ingredients, my kids like drawing on themselves sometimes, or I’ve learned some of my items are safe for the eye area or vice versa. Then once my no buy is over, I’m able to see what I was able to use, what is left over that I couldn’t or just didn’t have a use for, and what actually needs replacing or just plain removing. Having 3 kids means I feel like I’m constantly declutterring, but it’s become much more manageable and it’s even up to my kids 90% of the time to put what clothes or toys they don’t want anymore in a “go away” bin.

The worst is tik tok restock creators. They change their fridge and pantry with new items and bins every week. Yet I watch them 🙈

I have been binging your content because it is so refreshing and has great inspiration to stop consuming so much. Thank you, Shawna! Keep it up!

This is so true! I was inspired to declutter one time and ever since I’ve been very cautious with my purchases. I’m not perfect but I’m def changing my ways. I have seen so many influencers “declutter” and end up buying more useless things. They inspire me not to be like them.

Love your deep dives. So thoughtful and illuminating. Thanks Shawna

Wow I came across this at just the right time. I’m currently in the middle of decluttering and I just pulled out an eyeshadow pallet from the trash, trying to appreciate what I currently have

Kondo's book helped me do the big declutter (my space is still a mess because of bad habits) and have more willpower to resist things when I'm shopping lol. One problem I have is: "oh, I shouldn't throw that out, i can repurpose it" (e.g. t shirt into a tank top or bag or pillow cover; remelting candles) And then i dont And then it sits there forever Because i forget or procrastinate or dont want to

After my dad died it’s taken me five years to properly go through and declutter all his stuff. Partially because decisions are hard, partially because there was a lot of sentimental stuff, partially because I’m not always in the same country as the stuff but mostly because I wanted to take the time to consciously go through everything and consider whether I still have a use for it and if not where a good place for it to go would be. Sometimes that meant throwing things away but I tried to recycle as much as possible and if something was thrown away it was because it was the best option. I cannot count the amount of comments and the overwhelming disbelief I've gotten over the years (and it got worse the longer this process went on) because people just didn’t understand why I chose to be so considerate of the stuff. Why I wouldn’t pick maybe a handful sentimental things out and throw everything else away because I can just buy it new. Why is so many people’s first instinct to throw away and buy new? Also replacing all the stuff costs so much money! I still have a hard time understanding these reactions when I get them

Not me, watching this while decluttering my nail polish collection 😅 (I’ve worn the same 3 colors for 10 years so almost everything else is super old and needs to go!)

What a lovely voice you have. This was a really calming video to watch, thank you!

I did a big declutter and I continue to declutter, mostly because I have kids who grow out of clothes and accumulate toys and items. I pat myself on the back for not filling up my house again……however…..I seem to have a little problem with books. I love to thrift them, and then I will go and declutter after a while. I think it’s an issue, but also I just love books. I’m aware that it’s like a shopping problem….so I think it’s important to be aware but also to challenge myself to read these books I’ve acquired. And look at why I’m doing this. What is missing in my life or what need isn’t being met?

Ive been thinking about this recently, reflecting on my own habits, and was looking to listen to something about it yesterday. Thanks for providing!

I've learned to declutter and only purchase things when it's done or really need it, i think the one that helped me the most is honestly questioning why do i need the thing that's being advertised to me and going through the breakdown in my head, figuring out that trends come and go and finding my style, recycling and repurposing the things tha ti already have, and sticking to my budget because god knows we can't afford anything nowadays

Great topic! I think about this all the time and see almost no content addressing the consumerism and decluttering cycle, only shallow deinfluencing videos that don't touch on much of anything so thank you

Thank you, I really found this interesting. I enjoy watching declutters because I remember how freeing it felt when I first overhauled my house, so watching them I found relaxing. Until, as you mentioned, I realised I was watching the same creators decluttering regularly, and then it just annoyed me instead. So now I'm more choosey about what I watch. My biggest bugbear is the consumerism I see in booktube. I love reading and watch it a lot to get book recommendations of books I may enjoy, ones that I likely would never have known about otherwise. However, to watch some of them buy 20 odd books in one go, when they've mentioned they have hundreds of books on their shelves, they haven't gotten around to reading yet, pi$$e$ me off. In fact, so much so that this year, I decided that I'm only reading library books now, and if I find any that I enjoy so much I'd like my own copy, I can only get second hand ones 😅 Not that I bought lots of new books any way, but it just makes me feel a bit better to use pre-loved books that have been discarded. It's also interesting what you said about people not knowing/ understanding themselves. I got drawn in by beauty youtube and would buy some of the things I'd see advertised and then barely use any of it because the truth is wearing make-up makes me feel very anxious, so I don't enjoy it but I WANTED to BE that person who wore make-up and was put together but I'm not, nor will I probably ever be and that's okay, so I gave it to a friend who does enjoy it, but didn't really have the money to buy stuff and being able to help my bestie out and not having it there to make me feel guilty that I had wasted that money and that I wasn't THAT person, made me feel good. Sorry for the essay. You just got my brain buzzing 😂

Loved this, so true!! I only have a few home decor / ornaments and I switch them around different rooms every so often instead of buying more🥰 Just subscribed ✨

There's a huge gender element to this for me. When I was a teenager, i was a girl who only wore boys clothes but because I wasnt allowed to cross dress, aquiring clothing was hard. I had to be so intentional on what I could beg my mom to buy. When I started wearing girls clothes again, the full accessibility led to overconsuming, but since it was something I felt obligated to buy to be loved, I was never happy so I kept at it. I'm happy and back to my men's clothes, and my old instincts are there: mens clothing that looks good on me and makes me feel attractive is hard to come by, so what I have I'll hold onto forever so i can actually have clothes to wear. What you said about having to never give up clothing, what would you wear is critical I think to curb overconsumption and also remind us to not take accessibility for granted.

I follow a lot of accounts that do project pan for crafting and it's so much more satisfying to see something used up to create, rather than just unpacking various stickers from shein, temu etc

I declutter at least once every 6 months and it’s scary seeing these content creators do it like every other week.

Super happy to FINALLY find someone on RU-vid talking about this topic who has a pleasant voice, attitude, demeanor... lovely. I just can't listen to the "screechers and ranters" on this topic. I'm trying tonhe chill.and wfh over here, dang! Anyway, love it, subscribed. Thank you ❤

i’m trying to “shop my closet” these days instead of buying new clothes. at some point consumerism becomes an addiction that’s so hard to curb.

I just came across your content. I wanted to say I am totally enthralled w/ your content. Also, you gave one of those voices & ways of speaking that is calm, relaxing yet highly interesting. I find myself therfore relaxed... but wanting to take mental notes. I subbed & look forward to future content :)

😅Maybe brands are kicking the doors down and force people to take the PR under threat 😂that's how some people make it sound

Decluttering will be done for the smallest of reasons 😂anything to get stuff out to get new stuff in 😂

I recently found your channel, and I might be overconsuming your videos. 😊 One thing that has stuck with me was someone saying, "If you need to pay to store or organize something, the cost of owning it exceeds the cost of the item." In other words, if I have to pay for a storage unit to house extra clothes I don't wear, it's a net-zero purchase.

the almighty algorithm brought me here! Yay! new subscriber in the house

Am working on recovery from a full blown shopping addiction, and going through all the things I had accumulated over the past 12 years was so shocking! I did a big declutter and it made me nauseous to see how much it was :( I only kept what I use and need and won’t buy/shop unless it’s necessary or I ran out, because I feel awful and want to be sustainable ❤❤ Nobody asked for my life story lol, thank you for this video

This is a big problem I've seen in ADHD / neurodivergent places. It sucks because you'll see people be frame the buying of stuff they aren't going to use as sertion hunting. And equally in those spaces I see a lot of swapping between haul culture ("sertion hunting") and then decluttering and the cycle repeats. I've also seen people justify it with them saying there basically restocking thrift shops. @_@; It's hard too in those groups cause people do associate that behavior with ADHD and if you mention you don't do it, they'll get on you going "I don't wanna be rude or invalidating but how do you have ADHD if you don't sertion hunt??? This is our culture." *Sigh* Anyways what you said hits the nail on the head, I think it's why I see it in communities I'm in a lot. When stuff becomes normalized like that, people repeat.

Yes! I recently realized just how much makeup I have and started project panning in November. I know that usually when someone is new to project panning is normal to start by doing a declutter but it just felt wrong for me. Since I started project panning I realized that I don't like to do decluttering sessions. Instead, I prefer to use a product and evaluate whether it works or not for me, if it doesn't, is there a way that I can make it work? If not, then I'll rehome or declutter it. So far I have only decluttered a blush (balm blush, horrible, could not make it work for the life of me, not even as a lip balm), a supershock shadow that had completely dried up (I tried reviving it but failed), an undereye brightener (it was expired and caused my face to swell up and get incredibly dry and irritated. It took weeks for my skin to fully heal), and two golden highlighters that were too dark for me (I gave them to my best friend, they look beautiful on her). This method works best for me because if I want to have a smaller, better curated collection, then I have to finish up stuff and stop buying makeup (currently on a no-buy) and not just declutter my way towards my makeup collection goal.

Very well said. Thank you

I’ve always wondered why the declutter videos seem to be the same people constantly decluttering bags of stuff every month from their house. I even questioned one of the women because everything she was decluttering still had the tag and I asked “did you just buy this to put in this video and are actually just going to return it to the home goods you got it from?” And the woman got so pissed saying I didn’t understand what went into a RU-vid video and her response really made me think SHE ABSOLUTELY DID JUST BUY THIS SHIT TO PRETEND SHE WAS DECLUTTERING. When I do declutters I maybe can get rid of one bag a year. I don’t understand how they get rid of 10 bags a month. When I declutter there is usually a point and often it’s when I am making big changes like moving or rearranging furniture. For instance, I recently moved my bedroom from the upstairs room to the bonus room and during this transition I also remodeled the room. One of the big changes I was making to the space was putting in a full wall of wardrobes so while I am in the process of filling this I am relooking at my clothes. Well it turns out my feet have grown (used to be size 7-7.5 and now I’m anywhere from an 8-9) and now I can no longer fit into 50% of the shoes I own (shoes I’ve held onto since high school) so I didn’t have a choice but to declutter them. And while I was doing my research about decluttering I learned donating is a last resort so I’m uploading them to some resale sites so someone else can enjoy them.

I used to love watching Jessica Braun. I liked how she took herself off the PR lists. Lately, I've grown irritated with her constant affiliate links, Amazon must have videos, Trying new makeup videos. Obviously, she has the right and freedom to buy what she wants, create and post whatever videos she wants. She isn't the only youtuber that I've slowly stopped watching because of the shopping/ buying content.

I have a lot of stuff. Stuff I’ve accumulated over 25 years. I don’t throw stuff out… like ever. But I also don’t buy things if there’s no room for them. I tend to use stuff up. I like having all of my stuff because I don’t need to buy things… I love what I have and I use what I have. I’ve sold clothes that no longer fit and I turn worn out fabric items into rags. It’s empowering to take your items through their entire lifecycle and use them until they are literally unusable.

So true. So many hypocrites on RU-vid posting “ declutter” videos alongside dollar store/ Amazon hauls for organizing bins and other junk.

I sometimes feel like hoarding and extreme minimalists are two sides of the same medal. Both need to be adress, because it's the feeling of having control and it's a compulsion. The compulsion to keep everything and the compulsion to get rid of everything are equally harming. I am decluttering, but that's mostly my leftovers from my teenager and early adult years and I have been very deliberate about it. I like my 40 T-shirts, but I don't need the 10 shirts that I have not fitted into since I was 15.

I really love declutter video and used to love thrifting video. But then the thrifting one became like ridicilous cause they keep buying and selling like nonsense. With the decluttering i used to feel bad that i couldnt get rid of so many thing, but now i just being mindful and try to use all the product i have, emptying them so i can declutter them

I was hoping someone would make a video about this!! Thank you

This video was REVOLUTIONARY. Thank you

I definitely see it that I have to declutter what I can’t use, and keep what I can

I’ve been watching a lot of declutter videos lately, and I noticed that I immediately lose interest in it when I see that the creator is not committed to changing their shopping habits. You can tell whether they really want to make a change in their lives or if they just need more space. There is absolutely no point in getting rid of things if you are not gonna slow down the shopping, and I am glad to see you talk about it. Great video!

Excellent video and so true!!❤😊

My need to declutter comes from not remembering a lot of the things I have. I don't really have an impulse to buy new things, which is nice, but I also forget half of what I own, causing products like old makeup to expire

Love this video type 😊 please do more

I love mending my clothes, its fun and relaxing:D the Konmari method and visible mending really saved me from becoming a hoarder, now i only bring something into my house if its something that im missing. I keep things until they are absolutely unusable most of the time, although I did recently donate some of my last few pieces of polyester and acrylic clothes because i couldn't stand the textures

Great insights!

Great video as always! I have a few not necessarily coherent thoughts on the matter lol a) I totally agree about the frustrating rationalizations some beauty youtubers give with respect to owning a lot of makeup. "I buy it so you don't have to!," "I have this much makeup to do comparisons so you know the best product for you," (spoiler: they rarely, if ever, actually do comparisons) "I wouldn't have this much makeup if my job wasn't to review makeup." Like, this is a choice you're making. You are choosing to purchase this amount of makeup and you're branding it with this feel-good I-do-it-for-my-viewers mentality. I didn't ask for this lol. b) I live in a ~400 sqft apartment and I recently went through and touched every single thing in my apartment. Papers that were stored away, clothes, etc and got rid of 4.5 trash bags of stuff. I barely had that much stuff to begin with (I don't like clutter, I tend to make intentional purposes, and I'm not much of a keep it just in case sort of person). I can't imagine how much crap other people have around lol c) I wish antihauls were more popular. I like new makeup releases videos because I enjoy knowing what's going on and looking at pretty things, but I rarely feel the need to purchase anything. I want more critical thoughts about makeup instead of hearing people say things like, "Well, I buy everything X releases, so I guess I'll buy this." Like, what? d) tied to the point above, I have gone back from time to time to watch oooold makeup releases videos because it's just kind of fun to see what was new and exciting circa August 2018 or something and it's wild how much mindsets have shifted. Natasha Denona was routinely slammed for being waaaay too expensive (with people calling the brand "Natasha Denono" and saying things like, "For that amount of money, is it going to apply my eyeshadow too?"), but now ND is very mainstream and her price point has been normalized. More to say, but I'll stop rambling!

I love this video. Some of my favorite content creators really drive me nuts with this. It seems so toxic to waste all that time and effort to viciously declutter, and then they do it multiple times because of overconsumption. Its like they have a 15 in, one out rule. crazy.

Good video. A great perspective. I fall into this at times ;)

12:40 As a fine arts grad student, it's totally normal to have a "gouache phase" and then get bored and try a different medium. But -- why get rid of the paint??? It's not going to go bad. Keep it around for the time in a few years when you'll want to revisit gouache. I still have some worn-down chalk pastels from when I was 15, and I used them for a class this last year. I've been using a bottle of India ink I got when I was 16. I know that I am going to use all of my art supplies eventually, and it's those unexpected moments when you remember that you still have some gouache in the closet that bring a lot of joy and spontaneity to a mixed media project. If you really don't think you'll use a specific art supply again, you can share it with some of your artist friends. Maybe seeing what they do with it will inspire you to pick it up again, or if you really think they'd make better use of it, you can give it to them. If you remain open to the possibility that you might want to use those pastels again at some point in your life, getting rid of them just seems like throwing away money to me.