Maybe this has happened to you before. You’re on your way home and you realize you need to stop at the store to pick up a handful of things — a missing ingredient for dinner, laundry detergent, or a piece of poster board for your child’s project that’s due…tomorrow. As a professional organizer I have one thing to say: clutter alert! These unplanned, last-minute trips to the store can lead to clutter as unneeded (but oh-so desirable) items that somehow find their way into your shopping cart.
Consider this: the majority of the clutter in our homes gets there via the checkout aisle at one store or another. So if you struggle with letting go of your belongings, it’s important to arm yourself with strategies to shop intentionally, keeping tomorrow’s clutter out of your home altogether. Here’s how:
Shop with a list or without a cart.
A shopping list is my go-to strategy for keeping clutter out of your home. Whether you’re shopping for groceries, personal care items, household goods, or clothing, making a list ahead of time boosts your chances of arriving home with only items you need, instead of eventual clutter.
But what about those last minute “I just need three things (and I can remember them all in my head)” kind of shopping trips? That’s when you shop without a cart. It’s true, shopping without a cart is inconvenient, which is exactly why this is a terrific clutter prevention strategy. When you’re lugging around a heavy, family-size can of peas, or a hefty jug of laundry detergent, or an awkward piece of poster board…you’ll be less likely to browse aimlessly, see things you don’t really need, and arrive home with clutter.
It works for me. What works for you when it comes to preventing clutter? I’d love to hear. Please share in the comments below.
Great tip Aby! Something I did a long time ago which drastically cut back on clutter (and saved me money too!) was stopping the Sunday paper being delivered to my house. It was a hard decision to make because I love sitting around on Sundays reading the paper sipping my coffee, but I noticed that I would just want to go out shopping for things that I really didn’t know I needed or wanted until I saw them in the ads on Sunday. I still occasionally go out and buy the paper, but taking away the tempter being delivered weekly to my door stuffed with ads has definitely saved me money, time and clutter!
Thanks, Kelly! Great tip about stopping the Sunday paper to avoid temptation and clutter. Thanks for sharing that!
Spot on! I just came home with several extras after stopping to get just a few things. I did limit myself and didn’t go crazy but even a few things will add up over time. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks Tiffany! Good for you for limiting yourself to a few things. 🙂
I shop with a list; try to put off shopping for just one thing and make do, and I have found my biggest clutter buster is stay away from thrift stores and garage sales unless I am with my sister from another state, then all bets are off. Also, shop with a list in the dollar store; sometimes items vary there BUT just free range shopping “Oh, it’s just a dollar” can add to my clutter.
So true about avoiding garage sales and thrift shops to prevent clutter. Thanks for the tip (and reminder.) 🙂
Great suggestions! I use a paper list for groceries. I keep it on the side of the fridge and when we get low on a staple it goes on the list. For other items not at the grocery, does anyone have any suggestions on a simple and straightforward app for my phone?
Great question, Lisa. I have used Remember the Milk, but I would love to hear what others use!
Great tips. I used to live in the city and would have to park several blocks from home or take public transportation. I shopped without a cart all the time then because if I couldn’t carry it I couldn’t have it.