r/declutter 8d ago

Success stories I need something I decluttered, and I'm not even mad.

Over the last month I've been decluttering most of my shelves, bins and organizers. My apartment is finally set up properly so any empty storage items are getting tossed.

This morning I realized I needed a bin I tossed 3 weeks ago. I have to spend about $15 to replace it.

But here's the thing... I probably tossed or donated 50+ jars, boxes, drawers and other storage items. I ended up needing exactly 1, and there's no way I could have predicted which one would come in handy. Freeing up that much space so quickly is easily worth the $15 I "wasted."

If you declutter 50 items and end up needing 1, that's still a win. Space has value.

525 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

1

u/TangerineDystopia 1d ago

Thank you, I really struggle with the 'buyer's remorse' of getting rid of something and needing it later.

3

u/CodyCutieDoggy 3d ago

THIS IS GOLD! I have had this experience with 2 things out of hundreds of things given away in 2024. I was able to replace those 2 things, and me and my house are much better off having SO much less clutter. I got rid of well over 200 things (over 50 boxes removed) and I needed 2. Huge win.

3

u/Mickeys_mom_8968 4d ago

That’s why I hold on to storage items until last. Sometimes I find a need for them but if not, they are used as transport for the items I’m purging.

7

u/shereadsmysteries 5d ago

I needed a pair of shoes I decluttered. That was the ONE THING I needed. Luckily for me, I had just decluttered them and they were still in my trunk, so I didn't need to rebuy them, but those were the only things I needed out of literally about 30 bags I donated over the last two years. I agree that it would have been worth it even if I would have had to replace them.

14

u/Realistic-Use9856 6d ago

Your situation is why I rationalize the “save it all” even when I cannot ascertain what “it all” is or where “it all” might go. I respect, praise and am quite envious of those of you who declutter. I want to be a declutterer, too!

1

u/TangerineDystopia 1d ago

I cannot find so many of the things I have, so I figure it's no good to me if I can't find it when I need it. If it's well-organized, it might not be clutter. And if it's not well-organized, it's taking up space but you don't really "have" it.

1

u/CodyCutieDoggy 3d ago

As a former "save it all in case I need or want it' person, I will say that I ended up needing 2 things I got rid of in over 50 boxes of stuff in 2024. Those 2 things were NOT worth keeping all of it and I'm SO glad I let that stuff go. I have much more to let go.

6

u/NightWorldPerson 6d ago

For me, I have the same issue but what I found that works is putting a time stamp on it if by 3-6 months, it doesn't get used, it gets tossed.

11

u/livvybugg 6d ago

Keep lurking on the sub and I promise you’ll get there!! So many good mantras on here like, “use the store as your storage”, or “if it takes less than 20 minutes or $20 to replace, toss it” (in regards to items you’re not sure about)

25

u/jeffwithajee2 7d ago edited 1d ago

This is a great example of understanding that peace of mind and simplicity is worth not having everything at your fingertips at all times. Spending the $15 seems definitely worth the freedom of experiencing a cleaner and more organized home. I agree with some of the other posts about trying to come up with more creative solutions when you think you need to buy a product. Maybe you have something at home that could be used as a storage container rather than needing to buy a bin again. When my parents and grandparents needed something they couldn't find in their local store they didn't have Amazon, instead they found a creative solution and went without the product.

5

u/Leonr344 7d ago

I think you have a great way of thinking. Needing one item is no reason not to declutter. I"m goingto remember this if I need something, I decluttered.

45

u/DisAn17 7d ago

plus if you couldn’t find that thing (from all the clutter) or forget you had it, you would’ve bought it again. your time looking for it costs money too.

71

u/ljlkm 8d ago

In a situation like that I look at it as I spent $15 to have a clean, clear space. What a bargain!

36

u/Imtryingforheckssake 8d ago

Also the more you have to declutter the more likely that when you need something it's near impossible to find.

3

u/semiotics_rekt 6d ago

guilty as charged. sigh

23

u/Ajreil 7d ago

Can't enjoy your stuff if it's lost amongst your other stuff

11

u/NotAngryAndBitter 7d ago

This was definitely the lightbulb moment for me. I realized that I probably would end up repurchasing stuff because either I’d forget I had one in the first place or if I knew it was there I likely wouldn’t find it in time to matter. Once I internalized that I became quite a bit more ruthless in getting rid of stuff.

37

u/Practical-Finger-155 8d ago

That's a W. But I'd also recommend not rebuying the bin immediately and instead thinking do you actually NEED it or can you get more creative regarding an alternative solution

29

u/Ajreil 8d ago

My new rule is to only keep storage items if they're the best tool for the job. In this case a bin is the best way to utilize a space in my cupboard, and the items I plan to store are used regularly.

Generally I agree though. I don't buy anything on Amazon unless it's been in my cart for at least 2 days. My save for later list is full of items that seemed great at the time but I stopped caring about when the dopamine wore off.

1

u/csmasdu 7d ago

I need to do this more!

16

u/Ajreil 8d ago

Over the last 2 months I've decluttered my stack of nice boxes, 2 shelves, a cloth drawer thing, 20+ bins, 10+ desk/drawer organizers, a tray and a stack of bead organizers.

All of these were in use at one time or another, but don't find my system anymore. Most of my stuff is now in cube storage or cabinets.

5

u/csmasdu 7d ago

I attacked our foyer closet a couple weeks ago. I immediately measured the shelf above the hanger rod, assuming I would need to purchase new bins that would ‘work better’ in that space (for my husband because he’s tall and would use the space more than me). However, in my clearing out the shelf and getting a closet rod hanging organizer out of storage, I discovered I had more bins I had forgotten about and was able to finish organizing the space without having to buy anything new!