Hey! Did you know something as simple as decluttering your closets and drawers could end up paying big financial dividends? It may seem counterintuitive, but clearing out the clutter can seriously boost your savings and spending habits. Getting organized helps reduce impulse purchases, makes you more intentional about what you really need, and even puts a little cash in your pocket from selling unused stuff. Pretty crazy, right?
As you do your next round of decluttering and organization, pay attention to how it changes your money mindset. I bet you’ll feel more in control of your finances and less tempted by excess stuff. This 4 weekend deep cleanse will get you started.
Let us know in the comments – have you noticed a shift in your spending and savings after decluttering? What goals do you have for your next organizing project? Excited to hear your stories!
Weekend #1: Declutter Your Closet and Wardrobe
- Set a timer for 60 minutes and rapidly sort through every item in your closet. Be utterly ruthless. Toss what no longer fits or hasn’t been worn in over a year. Ask yourself “Could I easily replace this for under $20 if I really needed to?” If so, donate it.
- Aim to remove at least 20 articles of clothing during the hour. Take boxes straight to your car to drop at the thrift store right after. If you find that you may not have the time to drop off the items, go online and schedule a pickup. Places such as Goodwill, The Salvation Army, The Arc, etc., all offer pickup services.
- Next, tally up how much you typically spend each month on clothes, accessories, dry cleaning, new hangers, etc. Reduce that budget line by half on paper. The declutter will decrease wardrobe maintenance costs.
Weekend #2: Clear Counters, Drawers and Shelves
- Devote an hour timer to each room with surfaces and storage – kitchen, bathrooms, office, laundry room, craft area. Dump out drawers. Remove everything from countertops into boxes.
- Be disciplined about keeping only truly useful items that you use weekly. Toss novelty items, expired products, extra cleaning supplies, tattered towels. If you’re saving it for a hypothetical future need, get rid of it!
- Finally, take an inventory of monthly cleaning product, toiletry, and home organization purchases. With less to organize, you likely need less. Cut that spending budget by 30%.
Weekend #3: Minimize Furniture and Decor
- Walk through each room and assess your current furniture against a minimalist lens. Can any tables, cabinets, chairs, shelves be removed or multipurposed? Take photos of decor and remove half that don’t bring daily joy.
- Calculate roughly how much you spent on existing furniture you’re ready to part with. Even if not reselling, those would be hypothetical savings that can be invested or used to pay off debts.
- Also cut your monthly budget for new decorative items and furniture in half. The decluttered space doesn’t require constant change and infusions of new things.
Weekend #4: Streamline Accounts, Subscriptions, Commitments
- Pull up bank and credit card statements and make a list of recurring monthly charges – gym, cable, music services (i.e. Sirius XM radio), apps, wine clubs, etc. Which bring you true daily value and which are clutter? Cancel at least two.
- Next list debts and financial accounts. Can any accounts be consolidated? Any rates negotiated or refinanced for simplicity? Eliminate transitional accounts.
- Update your master budget based on all the spending cuts identified so far. Automate max debt payments. Reassign extra savings to retirement, investing, emergency funds, or extra principle payment on your mortgage.
- Maintain by asking “Does this add value to my life daily?” for any new purchase. Say yes to minimalism, no to clutter!
“Clutter and debt accumulation come from the same problem – lack of focus on long-term goals. Short-term pleasures lead to clutter purchases and debt. Decluttering helps redirect focus.” – Farnoosh Torabi, personal finance expert
This 4 weekend process will painlessly declutter your home, reveal hidden savings, and help streamline finances by putting only the essentials in their place. Try it and let me know in the comments how it went.
Recommended Books related to this subject
** The Millionaire Nextdoor by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robins and Joe Dominguez, Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and The 100 things Challenge.
**Please note: The above books are linked via affiliate links to help grow The Art of Thrift. Thank you for your support.
