Love Thrifting, But Hate Clutter? Read This Post

What do you do when you absolutely love thrifting, but you’re trying to keep your home clutter-free? As someone who has this very problem, I’d like to share some ideas.

While I’m nowhere near being a minimalist, I do love simplicity. So to keep my family’s living space from filling up with stuff, I try to be aware of what’s going in my cart when I’m shopping. It’s super easy to get caught up in how unique something is, or how cheap it is. Unfortunately, it’s also easy to forget that you need to find a place for that item in your house.

Here are some things to think about while you’re shopping that can help you avoid making clutter-creating impulse buys. (Note: these tips mostly pertain to non-clothing items, but could be applied to clothes and shoes as well.)

• Where are you going to put it? Even if it’s something as simple as a book or a coffee mug, it still needs a home! If your bookshelves are packed and your kitchen cupboards are full, pass.

• Do you already have one, or have something similar? This is especially important with decor items such as pillows, baskets, or planters. Buying duplicates of things instantly creates clutter.

• Do you like the actual item, or its price tag? A quick test is to ask yourself, “If this was more expensive, or wasn’t on sale, would I still want to buy it?” I’ve put so many items back on the shelf by doing this. (Those half-price days can really suck you in, can’t they?!)

• Is the item going to fill a need/replace something? If you’re buying an item you were on the lookout for, that’s great! If you’re buying a replacement for something you already own, that’s good too. But make sure the old one goes out the door as soon as possible.

• Could someone else use it? Don’t forget about your family and friends while you’re shopping! I try to keep a running list of items that my nieces and nephews could use, as well as upcoming events/holidays I might need a gift for.

Bonus tip! It’s important to realize that some items may not be clutter themselves, but can lead to it. Bookshelves, desks, side tables and dressers are all well and good. But if you don’t truly have a need for them, they can become catch-all areas. A good rule of thumb to remember is that anything with a flat surface tends to attract clutter.

In short, you don’t need to stop going to thrift stores entirely, but just shop thoughtfully! You might need to work at it for a little while to find an appropriate balance between snagging great deals and not letting them take over your home.

Best of luck, and happy thrifting!

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