This will sound crazy, but one way I manage my hoarding is by giving physical space a value.

I have the natural hoarding tendency to keep things because "I might need it someday!" And heck, often I do end up using that thing - in three years. But does knowing I'll use it in a few years make it worth keeping?

Since I rent (you could also use a mortgage) I know exactly how much I pay for each square foot of space. If I keep a box of sweaters because I "might" need them someday, that's several square feet of my apartment that I am paying for in each month's rent but can't use!

So I try to guess how likely I am to use that sweater, and compare the cost of buying a new/used sweater vs. the cost of filling up that storage space for three years or so. If the storage space costs more or nearly the same, off goes the sweater to the donation bin.

It's easy to hoard things because they cost money. One key to breaking that cycle is to remember that space costs money too. :)

I purge, but more specifically, I keep about half of the items I "purge" to sell on ebay and craigslist. It is nice to recoup some of the money spent on stuff, but even the purge-to-sell stuff, if it sits around for 6mo is out of the house.

You guys are ruthless. I keep stuff for occasional use - such as my roasting pan. I probably only use it twice a year, but it works better than a disposable tin pan. Not having a kettle also seems extreme. You don't need a tea pot, but a kettle to boil water? So much better than using a regular pot. The auto-off is also a great safety feature.
I definitely get rid of extra clothing and books, but the rest I don't think of as clutter.

Here are my rules:
- File important papers right away. Recycle the rest.
- Don't buy something if you don't have a place to store it.
- If the option exists, go with digital media (ebooks, movies or music from iTunes, etc).
- Keep regularly used items close at hand. Occasionally used items can hide in the back of the cupboard without harming anyone for months.
- If clothing doesn't fit, is worn out, or out of fashion, just donate it. Don't buy something new unless you NEED it to serve a certain purpose.
-Beautifully framed photos are a way better souvenir than anything you could find in a shop.

I also ask "will this make me or someone else happier to have?" when I'm sorting out things to donate.

I once read a smart tip on clothes purging - hang all of your clothes with the hooks facing the wrong way (hooking towards you) and if the hanger hasn't been turned around in 6 months, chances are it's safe to get rid of. I guess you would make an exception for season stuff.

This is a good list. Number 1 is key. (I use the 1-year rule rather than 5 months rule, mostly for seasonal stuff).

One thing I like to add is the category of clutter that you just can't part with because you *might* have *some* use for it *somewhere down the line*. Or stuff that you *might* sell on Ebay or Craigslist down the line. Most of that stuff is best recycled or thrown away especially if it's not worth more than $5 or $10.

i need to use this list before i BUY something. so often i buy something because it's easier than figuring out if i already have a dual-purpose tool. which is why i own a teapot i never use.

It's not necessary to have rules. I got rid of 80% of everything I owned last year when I moved to a smaller place, and I did it painlessly without rules. I think it's silly to get rid of something just because you haven't used it in some arbitrary amount of time. I kept some things I rarely use and got rid of things I used often.

I went with my gut and it worked out fine. I ended up replacing a few things, as I knew would probably happen; but they were things that were easily available. How expensive or difficult or impossible it would be to replace something figured in my decisions more than when I last used it.

Five months? Does this idiot buy a new winter coat every year? Draconian. Makes as much a fetish of decluttering as some hoarders do of accumulating in the first place. Let's give de-cluttering a five-month break.

@CKILGORE, I would argue about the reversed hangers system. If all your hangers always face the same direction (I prefer front-to-back), then you can remove handfuls of them at once, dump them on the bed, really LOOK at each item before putting it back... this is a way to force yourself to consider each item for purging or keeping... (It also makes quick salvage of your wardrobe in an emergency easy, although I hope nobody ever has to prove that!)

I do a wardrobe purge at least twice a year. I try on anything I suspect hasn't been worn lately because I got fatter, and dump the things that no longer fit. (I have NO skinny jeans. When/If I get back to skinny, I will get new jeans. Well, secondhand "new" jeans, I'm a thrift store junkie!) Since I shop thrift, I sometimes buy cool things that turn out not to be practical, like "suit" jackets that are really too warm to wear inside at work or home because of the normal temperatures. When I glom onto the fact that I am not wearing something like this, I donate it back -- one of the great things about thrift shopping, the investments are low!

I was mighty happy after the birth of my daughter that I had saved two boxes of my larger clothes, much of which I hadn't worn since before I married. Because if there's two things I hate more than shopping for clothes, it's spending money on clothes that I'll only wear for a short time and shopping with an infant in tow.

I can't see the point to spending loads of money on pregnancy clothes. (Granted, I can't see the point to having babies, but that's just me.) If you know you're going to change sizes in the near future, invest in some clothes from somewhere like Goodwill. It will encourage you to lose the weight to get back into your nice, stylish clothes, and save you the money you would otherwise spend on 3-6 months of your entire life after you've "popped."

Better yet, ask friends who are similar to you in size if you can borrow or rent their old pregnancy clothes. Save yourself a ton of money and do your friend a favor by taking them off her hands for a while.

I'm a ruthless purger and have regretted it many times, but the alternative in my tiny house gives me the fears :)

Mostly I get rid of kitchen stuff. One in, one out.

I helped my parents purge their house last weekend. They are hoarders so it wasn't easy, we actually had an argument because they didn't want to get rid of a Beatles calendar from 2003!!! They thought it might be worth something, I said fine, put it on ebay, but remember I'm going to call you and ask how much you got for it.
So because I like to rebel, and for fear of having a house that looks anything like my parent's place, I am a purger and it feels good.

It's a tea kettle, not a tea pot. A tea pot is really necessary for making good tea, with loose tea leaves over which you pour boiled water. True, you can boil the water in a pan, but it's hard to pour without boiling water spilling all over you and the counter. A tea kettle is actually a charming thing to have on the stove, with it's cute shape and whistle, so not such a space grabber!

i try to go w the 3 must haves: LOVE IT, NEED IT or USE IT. hopefully a lot of things fall into more than 1 category....
for the things that i want to hang onto for sentimental value i ask myself if i can get the same warm feelings by looking at a digital photo of it & not have the actual item taking up space. usually the answer is yes.
for the things i want to keep "in case i need it someday" i try to follow that thru: what if i get rid of it & i actually DO need it someday? how easy would it b to replace or borrow another one? on a scale of 1 to 10 how upset would i b that i didn't have this particular item?

My rule esp. for clothes: If something NEW comes in, something OLD has to go. I always donate old clothes for charity. It also works for other things, e.g. wineglasses, cups etc.. Even tough I am surrounded by things I rarely use. But I love to have them, they touch my heart or they are attached on a story of my life.

5 months does seem a little ruthless but I guess needs must! I shall be having a purge on the weekend and shall refer to this article for sure!

Some of these rules seem a bit too...over achieving. Not using a tea kettle because you have a pot? So do I, but I don't want to run the stove all the time to boil water. We actually wore out our last electric kettle, because we use it so much.

And the five month thing, if I use it on a random occasion, or it's something I love, sorry, it's not going just because it's been on my shelf for five months.

I can be quite ruthless when it comes to purging, but I definitely disagree with the 5-month rule. I go for a 12-month rule, seeing as there are seasonal items that get pulled out after closer to a year in storage, e.g. Christmas decorations, dehumidifer, winter boots, beach towels, swimming goggles, etc. If I don't use something at least once in 12-months, then it goes.

I really struggle to let go of items based on sentimental value.

For example: I have two scarves that I haven't worn in 8 years - but I keep them because they were the first things my grandmother ever knit, and she made them for me. In fact, 99% of my winter accessories have some sentimental attachment - but I don't use or even LIKE most of them now!

How do you get over the guilt of parting with something someone made you or bought for you, which has strong sentimental value even if the item is not functional or personally pleasing?

Aimsly: Try using your scarves for something else...maybe make toss pillows out of them, use them to trim a throw blanket, cut a square out of each and frame them? If you aren't using them for their original purpose, ask yourself what else you could use them for.

kaete: i'll mention your comment to my fiance + hopefully i can reclaim the space he's left junk in.

lydiechan: 'I can't see the point to having babies'... seriously?

mrs.affleck: i understand your pain. my parents are hoarders and i want to purge 90% of what they have. they are mostly guilty of second-hand furniture passed down 4-5 times! this really gets me because although i believe in going green, most of these items are on their way to breakable.

aimsly: re-purpose them into a quilt maybe?

as for the 5 month rule, i believe it refers to things that people keep in attics/basements/garages/storage for years. i'm readying myself for a purge of items dumped in our storage room 2 years ago, yikes! seasonal items, holiday decos, old financial documents (for tax, insurance) go into storage boxes in the garage. i regularly purge kids items + mine = more space and less cleaning. also, after purging, whatever your left with make sure it has a place to go back to. no point in purging 75% of documents if you just 'dump' the 25% saved onto a shelf - you'll be too tempted to start it up again.

I can't stand these lists that say if you haven't used it in 6 months get rid of it. I have things I haven't used for 10 years and then I'll need it for something and it keeps me from going out and buying all new items.

I hadn't made cupcakes in 10 years and was so glad that I had everything to make them w/o going out and buying all new items again. I do the same with clothing that I might not have worn for 7 years, but will then need a scarf, halloween costume, or something to wear to a party or wedding / event. I'm so glad that I kept it in my closet instead of trashing things and going out and buying all new every year.

I think it is time to re-evaluate these lists that keep telling you to get rid of things instead of hanging on to your existing (usually higher quality) items so that you can re-use them instead of wasting money and contributing to the consumerist side of the economy.

I say if you have the room, and you think you might use it again, don't listen to these crazy "if you haven't used it in a year . . ." philosophies. In the long run, it is a wasteful ideal.

Wow, five months is ruthless! I've had many a hobby that I started - and spent a lot of time and money researching and buying the start-up things - and then didn't get around to actually doing the hobby. So, I've sold or given away these items, and then realize I regret it like 2 months later!

I could probably only use the 5 month rule on my clothes.. but I go for a 12 month rule most of the time like TRISH1980. Especially when I lived in a climate with big season changes.

Good post and comments, thanks. I try on every garment and check different angles in front of full length mirrors. I also move about in it to notice whether wearing it is physically comfortable. The reality checks let me release without qualms clothes that no longer suit me much better than just looking at them on a hanger or shelf. I recommend doing this while home alone since the truth can be upsetting. On the up side, I also may add to my shopping list a few items to be replaced in a different size, and sometimes I find clothes in a drawer or closet that I still like and had forgotten to wear.

I also had to laugh at the five months bit. If I followed that, I'd get rid of all my winter clothes every autumn, and get rid of all my summer clothing every spring. Counterproductive, to say the least!

Five months does seem extreme! Say goodbye to the Christmas decorations come June, and out goes the suitcase by about December (unless you're lucky to have more than one vacation a year).

Paperwork and clothes are the worst for creating clutter. I like to keep on top of paperwork by cleaning out my purse and filing cabinet frequently. Clothes... I've been a few sizes over the years and have 'fat' clothes and 'skinny' clothes. Actually I'm in the process of taking in a load of clothes since they're so nice but much too big since I dropped three dress sizes since last summer. It's also important to have some 'work' clothes - old or worn clothes which you might need for gardening or decorating.