This is one of my favorite blogs to write. I can write it off the top of my head because I believe so strongly in this sentiment. I helped a friend move recently, and it was quite a fiasco for her. An ordeal. And one that could have easily been avoided had she done her homework prior to calling me. Because she’s a close friend, I didn’t charge her for my time, and I didn’t lecture her. Instead, I observed. Observation, and a held tongue, made the situation less frustrating for her. I could tell she was overwhelmed and stressed and, for sure, I didn’t want to add any fuel to the fire.

Her husband was taking a new job in a different state, and they had been given a moving allowance. That means that her husband and she had a certain amount of money to spend on the move. When you take into consideration all the changes that she needed to make at her new location (setting up new services, registering their cars, etc.), the moving allowance did not cover the cost of the move. She had an apartment full of things and was moving to a house. She wanted to take everything, but not everything should go.

Decluttering strategy when moving:

Declutter First

My friend forgot one key element in her move that would have made it easier on her. She forgot to declutter FIRST. Decluttering prior to moving makes the process that much easier to pack. Instead, she thought she would declutter after she arrived in her new home. This process is a mistake, as taking and PAYING for everything to go with them, and then donating it once she arrived at her destination, was just wasted money. Luckily, I was able to help her declutter in advance, saving them lots of expense. When you pay by the number of boxes and weight of your possessions that go into the moving van, reducing what you own makes financial sense.

Declutter Like You’re Moving

So, then, why does it not make financial sense to declutter your living space the same way? If something I own does not make sense to keep, if I have to buy extra storage containers, or plastic boxes, or bins, or rent a storage unit, or buy a bigger house, it screams: DECLUTTER. Many people hold on to their “what if’s” like they are never able to repurchase them again. Which most likely they won’t. But if they do, and they’re a common item, Amazon can have what you need at your doorstep in a matter of days. Sometimes it’s more expensive to keep something than to donate it. This is called the 20-20 decluttering rule. The 20-20 decluttering rule says that if you can replace something for less than $20 and in under 20 minutes, it can safely be decluttered. OUT it goes!

Storing Excess is Expensive

People pay their hard-earned money every day to store things they no longer need. Think about it. You buy extra hangers because you have so many clothes, half of which you never wear. You keep old toys in a playroom when what you really need is an office. I say: Get rid of everything you don’t need like you were paying to move it. Asking yourself the question: “Would I pay to move this item?” really helps you make the decision about whether to keep something. If it’s clutter, let it go. If it’s not, know where to store it, and make sure it’s useful, exactly what you want and need, and worth the space it takes up in your home. By looking at clutter from this vantage point, you surround yourself with only the things you love. As Marie Kondo says, they “sparks joy.” And, surrounding yourself with the items you love makes not only financial sense, but emotional sense, as well.