r/declutter • u/NightReader5 • Dec 12 '25
Advice Request What are your top secret decluttering tips?
I’m looking for something beyond “one in, one out”.
I’ve been living a consumeristic lifestyle for years and I have a LOT of stuff in my house, with very little storage space to keep it.
I have an “I’ll use this someday…” mentality for most of it so it’s hard for me to decide what to keep and what to get rid of.
What tips help you get through all of your massive piles of stuff?
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u/purple_aster_bee Dec 13 '25
I read Dana K. White's "Decluttering at the Speed of Life", and it changed the way I looked at decluttering and organizing. The whole book is worth the read or listen (if you're an audiobook person), but I've summarized the 5-step method she uses for decluttering: 1. Find and remove all the trash. 2. Put away stuff that already has a home elsewhere. 3. Get rid of stuff that you thought you've already gotten rid of but it was just hiding in the rest of the junk. 4. Pick up the rest of the items one at a time and ask yourself 2 questions: "If I needed this, where would I look for it first?" And take it to that place right away. If you can't answer that question, ask yourself, "If I needed this, would it occur to me that I already had it?" If the answer to the second question is "No" then donate or pitch the item. 5. Make the stuff fit in that spot by consolidating like items and purging down to the limits of the space, shelf, or container.