Be Realistic Whether it Sparks Joy Or Not (2024)

You guys are amazing! It was so great to see so many photos of your change stashes in theFinancial Decluttering Facebook Group. And I loved hearing about where you take your change to have it counted and what purposes you give it each year.

Just as a reminder, each of the Financial Decluttering assignments should only take 10-15 minutes and you’ve only missed assignments toClean Out Your Wallet, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Door,Clean Out Your Car Console,Clean Out Your Sock Drawer,Organize Your Coupons,Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks,Clean Out Your Purse or Bag,Clean Out ONE Pantry Shelf,Clean Off Your Desk. Then check outClean Up Your Phone’s Apps,Clean Out Your Inbox,Clean Out the Junk Drawer,Declutter Your Shoes,Clean Out Your Freezer,andCount Your Change.

Just a reminder, don’t forget to join the Financial Decluttering Facebook Groupof over 1300 people for ideas and encouragement. You’ll love the photos of the clean wallets, clean refrigerator doors, car consoles, coupon binders, backpacks, purses, desks, shoes, inboxes, and more!

Now, on to the challenge!

I admit it. I’ve been watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix. While I don’t vibe with all her methods (only 30 books? I can’t even.), she’s got some great wisdom. If you’ve seen the show, you know that she encourages the people she’s coaching to put every single item of clothing they own on the bed. It’s a pretty jarring effect for most. They had no idea just how many clothes they had.

Then, she instructs them to hold each item in their hands and discover whether or not that item “sparks joy” or not. If it does not, the person then must thank the item of clothing and put it in a pile to donate. These strategies are phenomenal for recognizing what matters to us and what we need to part with.

However . . . you knew it was coming right? However, it may be a good idea for the purposes of our practice to keep things on a smaller scale. So instead of cleaning out ALL your clothes, I’m challenging you to clean out ONE clothes closet today. And that clothes closet needs to belong to either you or your children. I’d recommend having your spouse or teenager clean out their own. It’s not worth the emotional carnage friends. Stick to your stuff.

We live in a house built in the 1950s. You’d be shocked at how small our closets are. Mere decades ago, clothes were proportionally much more expensive and so people owned fewer. Clothing prices have drastically dropped and as a result, we’re tempted to buy more and more. And then we’re temped to hang on to the clothes that no longer fit or clothes we didn’t really need to begin with.

Your space is valuable. Clutter ends up costing you cash in a myriad of ways including buying something you already own, paying for storage containers in your home, or maybe even purchasing a storage unit. When it comes to clothing, most of us can freely admit that we own more than we need.

• Empty out one clothes closet.
• If you want to feel like you’re on Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, stack those items on the bed.
• Have a come to Jesus moment about whether or not you’re realistically going to wear each item again.
• I’m all about sparking joy, but if it doesn’t fit or causes you pain, thank it and move on, friends.
• Consider selling gently used items online.
• If you can’t manage selling items online quickly, choose to donate them or give them to someone you know who can wear the clothing pieces.
• Clear out the items within 24 hours if at all possible but in 3-5 days maximum. No carrying a bag in the car to donate for MONTHS.
• Reorganize the items that remain in the closet. I’ve heard it suggested to turn your hangers all in one direction and if in six months you haven’t worn an item, you need to get rid of it. Obviously this excludes special occasion pieces.
• Relegate off season items to the back or another storage location.
• When you’re finished, take a photo and post it to the challenge post in the Financial Decluttering Group. We’ll celebrate your victory. And/or post on Instagram with the #FinancialDecluttering Hashtag.
• You’ll get bonus points and virtual fist bumps for interesting discoveries.

The best way to handle the laundry monster is to institute a one in, one out rule. That is, when you purchase a new article of clothing, you pass along a similar item. i.e. buy a new t-shirt, donate or pitch an old one. That way, you keep a static inventory of how much you own. If clothing is a particular challenge for you, I’d recommend removing one item from each load of laundry you do.

Be mindful of how much you really need to wear. Only purchase items that can be interchanged with what you already own.

I can’t wait to see all we achieve together this month. I’ll continue sharing my own journey in the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group and via e-mails. Be sure you subscribe for both.

Post a photo of your closet victories and tips in the comments! I want to see what sorts of systems you use to organize.

Our new bookYour Money, Your Marriage is now available! Be sure to check out videos on managing money together on Facebook.

My book is now available:Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.You can also check outThe Debt Free Devotionalon Kindle.

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