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How to revamp your place without spending a penny
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I was struck by a funny thought as I headed out the door this morning. I write about improving your space yet I haven’t brought up the single most important thing you really need to do in order to accomplish that. And you don’t have to spend a penny to do it.
Cleaning up and organizing really is the most effective way to improve your lifestyle and your space, which in turn will improve your mindset. You’ll become calmer and more together. You’ll find it a lot easier to let go of a bad day when you have a calm environment to surround you.
Now let’s get real for a moment. I don’t always hang up my clothes or do the dishes right after dinner or make my bed in the morning. Sometimes it’s because of a lack of time but I’ll admit to laziness also being a factor. Nevertheless I value a neat space and I do my best to make my apartment a reflection of that. It’s partially due to the fact that I’m an adorably obsessive-compulsive Virgo. But the main reason is because of the way it makes me feel. In a single word: good. When you work forty plus hours a week, stew in traffic half the day and finally make it home, you should open the door to a space that greets you.
Work with what you have-a little spit and elbow grease can go a long way. If there’s a pile of junk you’ve been meaning to get to then get to it (after you’ve finished reading this, of course!)
If you’re still with me and you’re ready to get started then I’ll guide you through it.
- Start with something easy like a cupboard or closet. The sense of accomplishment will keep you motivated and you can look to what you’ve already done for inspiration when you feel like throwing in the towel.
Now you’re ready to tackle the big stuff:
- Take on each room one at a time. If you try to do your entire place all at once, you’ll quickly become overwhelmed and want to quit.
- You’ll need to clear a work area in each room. Take everything out of a corner so you can set up your KEEP, DONATE, RECYCLE and TOSS piles. If there’s no space inside then take it outside; it’s harder to de-clutter when you’re surrounded by stuff. (Tip: Look up your local recycling center to find out what materials they accept.)
- Be honest with yourself about what you really should keep and what you should give away or toss. The trick is to not think about it - go with your initial gut reaction. If it’s torn, broken or doesn’t fit get rid of it.
- Should you find yourself thinking about how you can fix something up or take it in or glue it back together then get rid of it. If you really needed whatever the item in question is, you wouldn’t even have to question its value or usefulness because you’d actually be using it.
- If you can’t be objective then call in a friend who can be. Offer him or her first dibs at whatever you purge. After all, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
- Set a timeline to get your cleaning and organization done, otherwise the piles will just start to grow again. Break it down by day if you have to and make sure to schedule in lunchtime and ten-minute breaks to help keep you on track. Work the timeline into a condensed period, such as a single weekend, to avoid losing momentum.
- Work with the space you have to make it the space you need. If you never cook then by all means store sweaters in your kitchen cabinets. I keep books in my linen closet. I realized I was letting valuable storage go to waste because of its commonly defined use: linen closet. Well, now it’s my linen closet and library.
So good luck and happy cleaning. If you need help or get stuck, picture the finish line. Trust me, the end result will be worth it. And you won’t have to thank me. Just consider it an early Christmas gift. ; )
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