Clear the Clutter

Do you feel like you are drowning in clutter? Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff? Having trouble finding the item you need? Nancy Reigelsperger, CCE-Steuben Financial Educator, offers  Clear the Clutter and Simplify Your Life and Finances, a workshop that helps you address these questions.

Clutter is evidence of many things: poor habits, lack of organization, sentimental attachment, too much stuff. But, at bottom, each item of clutter is a decision delayed.

Beating clutter requires building new habits, applying new organizational methods and creating new household routines. It takes times. Your clutter didn’t happen over-night and it will take time to get a handle on it.

Clutter actually falls into FOUR separate categories:

• Physical Clutter is the collection of things you don’t use and don’t care for. This type of clutter is often scattered about your home and office in an untidy mess. Very often, lost and misplaced items stem from physical clutter.
• Paper Clutter is one of the most frustrating challenges people encounter. When you live amongst piles of paper, it becomes extremely difficult to locate important documents…like bills, medical histories, tax papers, passports, and more. Not to mention the fact that piles of unread papers, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and other random paper gives a home an untidy appearance.
• Digital Clutter is found on computers, cell phones, tablets, and other electronic devices. It often consists of voicemail, email, user names, passwords, bookmarks, social media and the like.
• Emotional Clutter is the clutter we hold within our mind and heart. It’s feelings and emotions people deal with each day, like: negativity, anxiety, worry, stress, frustration, and fear. You can’t just hit the ‘delete key’ with Emotional Clutter. It takes specific strategies and practice to get back on happy solid ground.

Clutter in any of these forms can wreak havoc on your life. It robs you of precious time, working to destroy your productivity and happiness. It can have detrimental effects on your health and well-being…sometimes even on your relationships. It sends out negative messages to those around you and places a huge obstacle right in front of your goals and dreams.

The last thing you want in your life is Clutter. The best thing you can do is meet Clutter head on…and take it down, make it vanish, and say goodbye to it…forever.

Potential Financial Consequences

(University of Florida Cooperative Extension) 

Reduced ability to plan for the future

Tax consequences

Misplaced bills can result in late fees, lower credit scores and other problems

Crisis purchases increase spending

Cluttered homes sell slower and for less $$$

Renting storage space can cost over $1000 year

Last updated April 24, 2020