I recently decided to move apartments. I realized while I was packing that I have way too much stuff. The thought of lugging the stuff I haven’t used since I bought it to my new place made me feel overwhelmed. I started to feel very congested by all of my possessions.

I decided to take action, for every box I packed, I wanted to have a box of items to donate or discard. During the packing process I was able to get rid of 40% of my belongings.

Here are some decluttering practices I’m going to put into effect in my new place.

In general

I won’t just do spring cleaning. I’ll do some deep cleaning and purging twice a year.

I will make sure everything has a home. Before I buy something, I will determine where it would fit in my apartment. If I can’t think of where to put it, then I won’t get it. If I really want it, then I’ll have to get rid of something to make room.

I will stop helping others clutter. I have friends and family that are in the same predicament. I’ll try to give them services as gifts such as cooking classes, wine tasting certificates or spa treatments. I’ll also give more consumable gifts. I love giving baskets of seasonal fruits, gourmet candies, rare spices, wines, fine olive oils or balsamic vinegars.

In the kitchen

I want to stay away from unitaskers. They will only clutter up my cabinets and drawers. For example, I don’t need a corn stripper. I can use a good knife and cutting board instead.

I will think about quality not quantity. I got rid of most of my cheap pots and kept two Le Creuset pots. I realized over the past few months I have done almost all of my stove top cooking in them anyway.

In the office

I plan to get rid of books. There are a lot of fiction books that I know I will never read again. I have started selling my book on Amazon.com right after I read them. This practice helps me fund new books and make room on my bookshelf.

In the closet

Follow the ‘one in one out’ rule, every time I buy a new pair of shoes I will get rid of a pair I don’t wear anymore.

It is very freeing to clean house. By donating the stuff I didn’t want anymore some else will hopefully find it useful. I feel like I own my stuff, it doesn’t own me. I definitely feel more comfortable in my space.