If you haven’t used it in the last six months, get rid of it
by Jen
When you decide your home has more stuff in it than you can organize, you know it’s time to get rid of some of the clutter. But as you go through it all, you find yourself rationalizing how you need to keep each piece. That one cost a lot. This one could come in handy. They don’t make that one anymore.
None of these are reasons to keep stuff you don’t use. They sound sensible, but they’re not, and here’s why
It could come in handy. Sure it could – for someone. But if you haven’t used it in the last six months, maybe that someone isn’t you. Give it away to a friend. Take it to the office, set it in a community space like the breakfast table, and put a “Take Me” note on it. Give it to a charity or sell it in a yard sale.
It cost a lot. It’s painful to get rid of stuff you once paid dearly for. It means you wasted money or got taken in by a gimmick. But keeping the item isn’t going to turn a bad buy into a good one. It just means this mistake you made (and we all make them) is owning you longer than it should. Learn from it and move on. (You can always try to sell it if it still has value for someone else.)
They don’t make it anymore. And if you haven’t used it in six months, maybe now you know why. 
Related posts:
- Moving: a great way to declutter
- How to keep your shoes organized
- Get rid of your “might come in handy someday” pile
- 5 steps to breaking down the collecting mentality
- 5 Steps to declutter your home
Subscribe to feed updates or email updates
Print This Post
Save it: Stumble it! | Del.icio.us |
Digg
Posted in Organization on January 29, 2008
Want your tip featured on Bohemian Revolution? Click here!
Click 
January 31st, 2008 at 5:46 am
[...] a home for the stuff that doesn’t go anywhere. First, remember the six-month rule: if you haven’t used it in six months, throw it away. If you have, then find a drawer, shelf or closet space for it. You may need to buy an under the [...]
February 8th, 2008 at 5:27 am
[...] followed a modified version of the 6-month rule, which states that you should throw out/give away anything you haven’t used in six months. My modification: if I hadn’t actually seen the shoes in 6 months for all the clutter, I gave [...]
March 9th, 2008 at 7:08 am
[...] nothing you use now, or even touch, but it seems too cool to throw away. If you follow the six-month rule, then you know it’s time to let [...]
March 31st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
[...] or stashing it somewhere out of guilt and creating more clutter than it’s worth. (Tip: when I threw out everything I hadn’t used in a few months, I needed half the storage space I thought I needed in my [...]
May 31st, 2008 at 2:37 am
[...] abode, I’ve followed a few essential steps to prevent cluttering in the first place, like the six-month rule and the occasional purging of my “ooh, this might come in handy someday” pile. I also [...]
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:40 am
[...] reminding yourself of the six month rule. If you’re like me, it’ll take a long time to get it through your head, so repeat it [...]
September 16th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I wish I could make my self use the 6 month rule. I have way to much stuff & then there is all the stuff left her by my kids .. going to give it a try .. I have a flea market booth next month. maybe I can get rid of stuff
Cheryl
September 16th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Chery, in that case, I hope you make some good money on the clutter you sell! That’ll help give you incentive to let go of the stuff.
September 16th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Thanks Jen,
I sure hope so .
December 30th, 2009 at 8:49 am
[...] gift wrap and boxes, you might decide it’s time to have a garage sale, and turn some of the stuff you haven’t even touched in a while into [...]