My Decluttering Journey...A Frank Conversation About Clutter 

You are not compelled to have an capsule wardrobe to be a minimalist. Minimalism is liberating, you can keep the things that adds value to your life. 😊

We moved to a smaller home in retirement. The garage is small so I told myself I wouldn't put anything in it. There is no basement and I have never used attics. I came to the realization that I did not want to STORE ANYTHING. That was my retirement gift to myself, I would never have to clean those spaces again, it was a choice. Anything I kept had to fit in the home or in the small containers in my closets and I sold all the big totes. To me totes are the devil, we put stuff in and it never comes out so we buy more. I had eleven totes of holiday decor that I would dread and now I have 4 small containers in my closet for Spring, Fall and two Christmas.

We have lived in our house almost 30 yrs. Soooooo much stuff. We also have a lot that was passed down because of people dying. Raised 4 kids in this small house.I have been working on decluttering …still so much to go.30 yrs of stuff is a lot😆 but I’m working on it. I don’t want to die and my kids have to clean all this crap out. I’m not wanting minimalism but definitely want way less. Love this video.

The longer you stay in your home the more junk you’ll collect. It gets to a point where you’ve long forgotten some of the things you find when decluttering. My husband and I have been in our current home for just over 22 years. Our son is an adult now and so he has his hoard of things as well. I am on a MISSION to get rid of anything that I don’t need or doesn’t add value to my life. I am making progress but at a very slow rate. My health isn’t great as I have an autoimmune disease and that really slows me down. Even so I’m very motivated this year and just taking one day at a time. Once a month I schedule a pick up from my home for Diabetes Canada. This pushes me to declutter. I also have sold on FB Marketplace and given things away on our local Buy Nothing Group. When knowing I have somewhere or someone to donate or sell to it pushes me even more. Thank you so much for this video. I’m subscribing to your channel.

I live alone in a small home, and in the past 3-4 years, I’ve probably gotten rid of 70% of my stuff. I’m motivated and easily able to keep my house tidy, and I clean up after every meal.

I hear u…..I’m close to 25 yrs married with 4 kids. If I could turn back the clock I’d do it so diff. Only a fraction of the amount I had would I buy. Live and learn😊

Here's a better idea. Don't worry about the thieves in your area breaking into your car. Box up your declutter piles and put them on the front porch like you've got a package. Then just wait for it to be taken away for free.

Mr and Mrs Justin Case here. Clutter is an ongoing challenge but focusing on value rather than cost helps. Good luck with your channel from across the pond!

Decluttering is a chore and a bit of a mental/emotional drain but it makes your life so much easier in the long run. I've been on a bit of a decluttering mission since the beginning of the year. I have stretches where I get a lot done and then I go through a stretch where I need to take a break from it. I would hate to try to do this all at once - it's a lot of work! Our home isn't hoarder level by any means but we have acquired a lot of stuff over the years. I have taken car loads of stuff to the donation center, we've given away and sold stuff online, I've taken boxes of books to the library...and we haven't missed any of it.

Minimalism has no rules. You can as much as you like as long as you use it or love it.

Right. People our age are still the product of the great depression. Our grandparents went through it who taught our parents to keep things and they taught us the same. From the 1930s through the ‘60s, most households lived on the father’s income, and the ability to accumulate an overabundance of items was limited. Now, items are abundant and affordable and easy to buy, which leads to the clutter we’ve accumulated. And, through the years from the 1970’s, an explosion of new products were introduced that were supposed to make our lives easier that we all bought and then discovered the items did not serve us as we anticipated but because we paid for them and were indoctrinated by the Great Depression mentality, we kept them. Now the mind set is to control our living spaces so that they make us feel good rather than stuff them with things to show off our social status by having so much stuff. We’ve been drowning in our stuff. Now that the grandparents and parents are gone, we are re-evaluating our possessions and the value of them. I am not a minimalist, but I do embrace Dana K White’s “container concept.” I only keep what will fit in the space I designate for it without overcrowding.

My experience is that you have to declutter in layers.

Great video, and I like the idea of essential- ism. I am in the same boat as you, 20+ years of stuff. We have all those categories of clutter--sentimental, just in case, put-off decisions. I used to think I was alone until You tube came along and I realize everybody else has these same issues. 😅

Decluttering is so freeing! Yes, selling is annoying lol. I did that for a while and felt traumatized having to do even more customer service in order to sell!

I'm finding its a method that you just do over and over until your satisfied... I just went through .y crafting stuff and got rid of a boat load of it - today will be the third time this month that I will be going through my closet!! Just gotta do what works best for you 💕

I’ve been slowly decluttering for a while. Sometimes it’s hard to get rid of stuff I don’t use. It seems like the more I do get rid of stuff the easier it becomes. I have to say, I try not to buy absolutely anything I don’t need. That’s nice not to bring home stuff that will turn to clutter!

Decluttering has changed our home. Still working on the garage, shed and basement. This winter will be one half of the basement. Then paint it in the spring. Five minutes a day makes a huge difference over time. With the basement, one box at a time will come upstairs and be gone through.

I LOVED this video. You and I are in the same place. I was constantly acquiring things. Very few things were leaving. Now I am working to get rid of all the clutter. Thank you for sharing this.

I have just gone through about 10 years of my own house which includes a now-high school age kiddo who also doesn't care to part with a lot of things, inheritance of a lot of my grandmother's and in-laws' belongings, pets with too much equipment, and classroom stuff from my own job as well. We moved cross country and once we feel settled, I think I could still do another round. 😂

Good luck! You sound a lot like me. I'm 45 and we are just done with all of the "stuff." I don't like selling items, either...after so many military moves...we just want stuff gone and get on with the move. I think we tried selling items the first move we ever did, and it was a "never again" situation. I just give away what's good and trash the broken/worn out. It's ok! I'm not looking for a minimalist lifestyle, just an uncluttered one. Good to go! (:

You just popped in and I loved hearing your thoughts. I’m not a minimalist but have gotten some useful tips from a few of my favourite channels. What I like most is the emphasis on not feeling guilt parting with things. And also on passing on items that will be useful or enjoyed rather than Sitting in a box or cupboard. I find it’s useful to tune in to hear what the minimalists have to say. Always a tip or two🙂Looking forward to more of your videos👍

I recently came across your videos and I absolutely adore you!!! Thankyou for such wonderful, thought provoking videos!!!

This was very relatable and I love your colorful and fun wardrobe! I also cannot live with a capsule wardrobe.

Today I wanted to talk about my decluttering journey and have a frank conversation about clutter. #decluttering #declutteringmotivation #mariekondo #konmarimethod Join my mailing list for emails that will make your life easier! eepurl.com/iB2aE2 Please subscribe to see more content like this, I'd love to see you around my channel 😊 www.youtube.com/@tarynmaria_?...

Very good points! Thank you for sharing...😊

New subscriber, I like your content. Very relatable for many and sensible advice. I feel better with less. It just helps me spiritually. It’s a lot easier to clean and to find things, also.

I love your channel ... very sound and practical advices, gonna binge watch tnght, i can so relate to many things you say

My Dearest thank you very much for uploading such a Wonderful video!

I am a functional kind of gal. I keep just those items in my house that I actually USE! We downsized from a 3,000 sqft 5 bed/3bath to 1,100 sqft 2 bed/1 bath- we immediately got rid of extra furniture before we moved. About 3 years after moving we bag an to update/refresh the rooms. So, we would completely empty one room- we packed everything up and put in our garage (AFTER we decluttered and rearranged and added storage units in the garage), cleaned, repaired and repainted the room, then we would put back just essential items- the bedrooms got the bed frame and mattress back (we did sleep in the smaller bedroom when we cleared our bedroom), then night stands, which we had cleaned out the drawers when we moved them to the garage, then added table lamps, then we hung up all our hanging clothes in the new closet but with the hangars out backwards, then we put back the dresser and decluttered the folded stuff first and then put the clothes back folded flat; as we lived in the room, if we found we NEEDED something we would bring it back in- as for those backwards hangars and flat fold clothes- as we wore them and put them back, the hangar would be turned back to normal and the folded clothes would go back folded the Mari Kondo way- after 6 months, those items not worn (per backwards hangar and flat fold) were decluttered and donated or trashed. Every room got this treatment. The kitchen was probably the largest project- not so much about renovating- new cabinets in the same footprint of the small kitchen but the STUFF! Again, everything in boxes in the garage, first we brought back 4 dishes, 4 forks/spoon/knives, 1 cast iron skillet, 1 pot, 1 baking sheet, the toaster, the coffee maker, the stand mixer, 1 each of cooking utensils- spatula, slotted spoon, closed spoon, ladle, and 1 set of sharp knives; as we went along, we brought back a basic set of pots, 2 ceramic skillets of different sizes, 1 cast iron Dutch oven, the InstaPot, 1 slow cooker (our Ninja one), the full dish set, a total of 12 glasses (6 wine/water globlet and 6 eight oz glasses, 6 coffee mugs, 4 Pilsner glasses, 2 Yeti travel mugs, 2 Yeti water jugs, 2 Yeti Thermoses), our full silverware set and 2 sets of serving utensils, 1 steak knife set, an electric kettle, 1 set each of measuring cups and spoons, 1 set of mixing bowls, 1 manual can opener, 1 key can opener, 1 electric corkscrew, 2 each of cooking utensils 2 colanders, 1 set of food storage for leftovers. To realize how much we downsized the kitchen- I had double-quadruple of EVERYTHING and probably every small kitchen appliance “I just had to have to make cooking easier”- we literally was able to help 3 young couple ms start their kitchens up with what we didn’t bring back in the house. Was it annoying to keep going out to the garage to get items when we could have just brought it all back in? Yup. BUT, doing it our way made us realize what we were NOT using daily, the only item I kept that was only used twice a year was our extra large 40qt electric toaster- that thing is used for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we usually bring it to whichever of our adult children’s house that is hosting that year and then it comes back to our house. We were at our 30th anniversary mark when we downsized and started to get rid of all the stuff we accumulated and realized just how much stuff we rarely or ever used. My husband even downsized his tools (6 LARGE 2-tiered rolling tool chests went down to 1 large 2-tiered rolling chest and 2 small rolling tool chests) and I also “downsized” my skincare and makeup to just what I use the most- that meant 1 facial cleanser, 1 eye makeup remover, 2 serums (Vit C and retinol), 1 day and 1 night moisturizer, 1 eye moisturizer, 1 foundation, 1 each concealer and dark circle concealer, 1 mascara, 2 eyeliners, 1 eyeshadow palette (9 shades), 2 brow powder, 5 brushes- this all fits into my medicine cabinet along with my deodorant, body lotion, toothbrush and toothpaste and I still have a shelf that is empty). The bedrooms have 2 each of bed sheet sets, lightweight blankets, 1 each comforter, 4 each bath sheets and face towels (2 per person) in each closet, not because I am a real minimalist but due to lack of storage. My kitchen cabinets and drawers have a few spaces that are almost empty and that’s okay, maybe I will add stuff to them but it is so much easier to find the right utensil or cooking pot now than when I had 3-5 sets of everything that I didn’t use all at once. Minimalism is more a state of your mind- what can you NOT live without vs do I really need/want this, and if not living without 2+ sets of things is your functional vibe, then that’s your vibe- just keep it organized not because your trying to create more space (that reorganizing all your stuff constantly to try to make more room but because you really need it- if you keep reorganizing without decluttering then that could be your sign to declutter).

for your wardrobe, clothes hanger tip: start them one way and then after a year, get rid of clothes you havent worn that havent been turned the other way round. another tip: move everything into thr attic thats in the basement, if you get it out, keep it out or put it in the basement. after a year, anything left in the attic is donated.

I’m so glad I don’t have a attic or basement, I have a basket at the back door and I put decluttered stuff there and put it goes every Monday, I was every other day and it’s now spring so I am going through my wardrobe decluttering what I have not worn over winter and now what I can’t wear because I have put on winter weight so when I go to charity shop with my decluttered stuff I buy one new top .

Two suggestions: follow the minimal mom and do the capsule wardrobe.

I just subscribed, thank you for the video. Great ideas and things to think on. I’m going back into a full house declutter, this time with a simplicity vision for my life. My motto is let it go!

If you can’t declutter when you touch it and instead of just stashing it attic or basement, put it in a box or take masking/painters tape and write the date you are stashing it, then 6 months or a year later if you haven’t used it, bye! And don’t kick yourself for it just accept it and do the right thing, out the door. You can have as much as is comfortable but one in and one out works in many cases.

Bin it all start again you will be surprised you won’t re buy it just keep your treasures with you and of course the clothes on your back 😮😊❤

interesting approach, need to think about it.

Minimalism is keeping what you use, not lack of stuff-but you use every single thing you own at least 1 time per year. If you own 10 purses do you use all of them within 1 year. If you own 20-30 sweaters do you wear them all 1 one year if yes and you love them then keep them

Shout out to your zodiac clock. Very cool.

I have 5 kids and we only keep and buy open ended toys now, no characters no toys that have only one function etc, that’s been a huge help with toy clutter for sure

I really like your as pproach to decluttering. First time I watch you. I started decluttering about 8 mos ago. But still I don't see much difference. I think is because I have procrastinated. Today am starting again. I have seen many videos on the subject .You are very encouraging. Thanks.

I like what you say, I have had similar problems to yours and I also have 3 kids.

Here is a tip when out shopping in general for a few things eg clothes shoes bags bedding toys , ask yourself do you really need that item or items

I've been collecting all sorts of things throughout the years of my short life. Everything from collectible items like Moomin mugs to antiques. Heavy furniture from all the way back to the 18th century and newer ones. Furniture are the pain though, and they Can be hard to sell.. When it comes to getting rid of stuff I'd much rather sell them then to just give it away. I have sold Tons of stuff over the years and I've gotten as much as $8.000 per year throughout these past five years or so, that I've been decluttering. Now, I have a Particularly small apartment, so I've been needing to store the items until the sale took place. Fortunately I had my own basement storage, so it wasn't a big deal for me. I did not have a limit, so I sold items from $1 and up. Money builds that way. If you don't have a job with good income and you Need the extra money; then I would recommend you to take whatever you could for the items you are selling. I have managed to save money this way. Do not underestimate the value of your items, never. There's always somebody out there that wants just That thing and who are willing to pay what your asking for it. Sure, people will be haggling, and that can suck.. But if you have a high price and you know it can he difficult to sell just that item and you want to get rid of it, then you'll be glad that somebody was willing to pay, even if it's lower than your asking price. Money is surely better than keeping stuff that only makes your life harder from begin with. Also, selling stuff online: take good pictures with no mess around and in good lighting, make sure you have a detailed description with both negative and positive explanation of the item(s), always take money up front for both the item(s) and shipping (all it entails). Make sure to be safe both economically and physically. Sure, if selling your items is too much of a hassle, leave it and just give it away. If it ruins your daily life and it's not worth it to You, then live your life the way you can and give the items away. I have given away Lots of stuff, just so that I can be more free and because I no longer had the storage space and it became a hassle.. It still is something I think about, the money I could have gotten, but still, I have tons of stuff left that I can sell that I need to concentrate on, rather than the stuff and money I "lost". Concentrate on your values in life, the people and your fur-babies. Your health is much more important, so are the ones that depend on you and the ones you care for. Life is too short.

clutter = unmade decisions + procrastination. EXACTLY.

I spent three years decluttering and am what I feel is "minimal-ish." I have collections of things, but they aren't out of control like they were before. I have 10-ish handbags. It's not minimal, but it isn't outrageous either. Same with perfume. Perfume makes me happy and I have a collection of about 20 bottles. Again, a lot of people would think it's excessive, but it sure as hell is a lot better than when I had about 70 bottles. My wardrobe has been scaled way down and I am careful with what I buy now. My closet is a double sliding door type, and my clothes take up about half, winter jackets included. So, I'm definitely not minimal or essential, but my place isn't cluttered any longer, and I feel more calm than I have at any other point in my adult life.

I am aiming for essentialism . I only have what I wear and a memory box .

Hi, I'm a new subscriber, curious how old are you? great videos!

I hate clutter, my sister is a clutter bug. Have no idea why we’re so different. Maybe I caught on early that having less makes life easier.

What do you use to clean with in your glass spray bottle?

I've heard there are "freebie" clutterers too...

The problem is these things represent a 'comfort' feeling. You will eventually declutter much of it as you age. I turned 65 and decluttered and now live a form of 'essentialism', not minimalism. The choice is, do you think at the age you are now, or as a 62 yr old, (senior citizen). Believe me, you will cross a bridge at a certain age of your life realizing these things would have served the less fortunate well, or if no longer viable, serve you well as a sense of control over your life. Factors such as health, people moving on, etc., will be associated with your later age. Maybe thinking where you will be in 25yrs will help make decisions now if you're on the fence.

I'm not a minimalist and I only have 5 pairs of shoes...

There are some very big questions when seeing SOOOOO many decluttering videos popping up these days: WHY has this become 'the thing' to do? Will this trend go 180 degrees back to "more is more" at some point in time? (All trends whether it be clothing, hairstyles, ways to decorate, etc. seem to have a way to come back around later on.) Is there some reason we're supposed to think that if we don't embrace minimalism there's something 'psychologically wrong' with us? Are you following this trend because it truly speaks to you or because someone's putting out videos to get more likes? Why is this a "journey"? Why have people become so inept they cannot figure out how to live happily in their own homes without some person telling them to do it this or that way? I'm not trying to be facetious...I'm just pointing out it's important to remember to be you and as my dear dad used to say: "Everything in moderation".

If the items would be taken from your car, why don't you set up a tarp in your front lawn with a free sign and you wouldn't need to make a trip to the donation center at all.

In the area you live do you have a company that can come and pick up your donations monthly?

ok

A no shopping plan at 55 years of age and a Five Fruits plan at the age of 56 years of age would help to do the Decluttering

Hi, is that Sofia at 2:47?

Hi Taryn, I love your videos because I visualize what my space will look like if I do..... however, you talking about deccluttering in your closet is very distracting. I would love to focus on what you are saying rather than look at the background. This is the second video of your series, maybe others are recorded where there is no distraction. Other than that, I have learned a thing or 2. Thanks.

Truthfully. No body wants it. I have gotten to the point I want space. . 25 yrs of saved files of papers. I just took a year n half decluttered . Kept the finals. But I’m tired of seeing so. Once again I am going to see what can go . I checked RU-vid what to keep just to verify. Photos, n important events I had for many years. No one wanted I decluttered them too. Looking at digital / cds of photos . (?) final countdown to let go . ?? . My “YES-ES, are being Decluttered again , again, again. Fantasy self has been Declutter. Donated all that I could. .. CANT. CLEAN. CLUTTER!. Us has gone communist. Byeden sold us out. 😂

People keep coming up with so much b.s. I'm a minimalist, but this so-called "essentialist" is the same damn thing, I promise! It's all a scale. Having literally more of what makes you happy that's helpful--essential. Having less is just I guess pragmatic? It's late here 😂 But you see what I'm saying? Sliding scale. I don't know why it's all overly labeled. People will argue to someone minimalist that they aren't, and there's no one size fits all.

My goal is essentialism not minimalism. Minimalism is not for me especially when it comes to clothing.

Thank You. What is our Country Coming to that We can't leave Charitable Donations in OUR Car because it will get broke into. We better wake up and See that Easy on Crime, is Jailing people willing to live with Horner and Respect the Social Contract we all need to agree to in order to live with the freedom and Life Style that people in the 50's had.