1. CDs/DVDs- I used to be a big collector for this one group of media, but since I have a phone and computer with no disc port, I just find it easier to look up music through Spotify, YouTube or even iTunes. Now if you have a CD or DVD player and get good use out of it, then by all means keep it. I’ve just found that for me personally, I’d rather not have that type of clutter in my space.
2. T-SHIRTS - Pairing down my big collection of t-shirts was probably the hardest thing for me to do out of anything else when I first got started into minimalism. I had nearly 50 or 60 of them, and because a lot of these were sentimental, it was a little challenging for me to let go of them even though I’ve only ever worn them once or twice. So if you simply have too many t-shirts and you’re not getting around to using all of them, it might be worth decluttering the ones you’re not wearing as often.
3. BOOKS- The older I get, the more I realize that I just don’t read as much as I used to- plus my taste is starting to change a bit. I do still like to read on occasion, but my collection now is only comprised of ones that I know I love and can read again and again. I'm hoping to add a couple more eventually, but I do plan on being intentional with that. It’s a process for me, trying to find books that capture my interest and aren’t repetitive with their story lines, so at this point in my life, I’m open to anything except romance novels.
4. THROW PILLOWS- I don’t know if anyone else is slightly peeved by this, but even though I did try getting into it for a short period of time, most throw pillows just seem to take up space. I especially don’t like having a bunch of them on my bed as I like to have enough space to actually sit or lay down. I myself only have two throw pillows, but I don’t keep them on my bed. I only have one on a decorative chair, and another one sitting on a bench that I use to store my winter robe and blankets.
5. CLOTHES- I believe this is a fairly obvious category that anyone could tackle on the first round of decluttering. Now I know I’m not an exception to this rule either, but because I have a capsule wardrobe system in place, I feel like I have enough clothes to last me for a long while knowing that everything fits and that it’s something I love. If you’re just starting out however and want to free up more space, I would recommend that you evaluate what it is you turn to the most often and go from there.
6. EXTRA LINENS- To me at least, it seems as if we hold onto too much or accumulate to many duplicates of this one item, and as I get older, I find myself questioning if this is something that’s actually necessary. When you think about it, does one person need a dozen bed sheets, or does one family really need twenty towels? I know that perhaps it’d be better to hold onto those extras for when guests come or if something happens (like a spill or leak), but what are the chances of that actually happening, especially if your current home is in good condition? Now if you honestly plan on using up those old towels you have until they fall apart, then by all means do so, but for me at least, I just find that they take up a lot of space.
7. STATIONARY/DESK SUPPLIES- I find it funny how some girls think that they need everything on their desk to be cohesive or matching, like this will help them to be more productive. I’m not saying this as a negative thing by any means, but when you really think about it, do you honestly need that pink stapler and tape set, or that stack of notepads with owls on them? How many binder clips or sticky flags does a person need if they’re only there for aesthetic purposes on your calendar or planner? Knowing how I am now with my productivity habits, I only need a couple journals/notebooks, a couple stacks of pens so that I don’t run out, some pencils and also some sharpies. I also have some cardstock paper for if I want to make homemade cards for a birthday as well as regular white, unlined paper. Now of course, I also have my own tape holder, but I might get rid of that at some point since I hardly ever use it.
8. EXTRA BATHROOM SUPPLIES- this list for this category is honestly so broad, but this could be anything from duplicate shampoo bottles, cans of hairspray, hair tools you don’t use often, hair elastics, bobby pins, body care products, travel size products, etc. Sometimes little things like that can accumulate f you haven't used them or have neglected to use them. So if they’re just sitting around and haven’t been touched in a year or so, you might want to consider recycling them or donating them if they haven’t been opened yet.
9. SEASONAL DECOR ITEMS- So as much as I like getting festive for different holidays, I do feel like it’s easy to get carried away with the fall DIYs, Thanksgiving centerpieces and Christmas or Halloween gear. I honestly can’t remember the last time I bought myself anything festive to add to my bedroom, but if there’s anything that I haven’t decluttered, it would be a painting of Santa that my uncle made for me a while back. This would probably be the only festive piece that I’ll keep because it’s sentimental as well as this light up Jack-O-Lantern that you can plug in, but other than that, I’m not really one to go all out for the holidays.
10. FANTASY SELF ITEMS- This is a concept that’s fairly new to me, but it makes a lot of sense once you put it into perspective. Sometimes, we’ll buy certain items in hopes that it’ll give us motivation to push on with any new goals we try to set for ourselves. Say that you’re wanting to get more into painting, so you decide to go online and do a bunch of research on different brush sets. Will those brush sets add value to your life or get used once they’ve arrived to your house, or are you just trying to justify the goal itself in hopes that it’ll inspire you? This is a mindset that I’ve had on occasion, but in those instances, they were more experience based instead of material based. If you ever find yourself buying items of this category that will only add to your existing clutter, then you might want to consider taking a step back and being honest about what hobbies you do take value in and genuinely want to pursue. You could always write down these things then take a look at that list. Which hobbies seem tangible or practical for you to pursue right now? Which interests do you already have, and do those interests seem to be enough?
One thing that I’ve noticed with other minimalism lists like this is that people will take them personally or justify why they don’t want to get rid of something, so if you come across this and have that same reaction, then that’s okay. The purpose of this list is not to tell you what to do or what you can/cannot keep, but more of a guide for if you need a little help in knowing where to start. Minimalism is going to look different for everyone. Find out what works for you and keep the things that you love and get value out of.
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