How to Declutter

11 Simple Tasks To Ease Into Decluttering

January 13 // by Brooke

Decluttering is hard. In fact, it can be almost painful.

Ask my family, and they might even tell you it’s traumatic. Kidding…well, kind of.

If you aren’t ready to start decluttering, or maybe your family isn’t ready to start decluttering, then try easing into it slowly.

Go ahead, stick a big toe in the water. It might be cold at first, but you’ll warm up to the idea. Soon enough, you’ll be ready to completely jump in.

Remember… it took you a lifetime to accumulate all the excess. It’s OK if it takes you a while to get rid of it.

Here are 11 simple tasks to help you ease into decluttering:

If you want to start with decluttering, create a very simple goal for your time.

1 – Create a very simple goal

It’s so easy to walk into a disastrous room and say, “YES! Today I will clean out this entire room!”

It’s just as easy to quit after you empty one box or clear one shelf and think, “OMG, what did I get myself into?!”

Start with a very simple goal. Pick one single area to conquer…over the course of several days or even a week.

It’s easy to get caught up in a challenge, but sometimes we need to conquer something simple so the harder stuff seems doable.

2 – Start decluttering in 5-minute increments

It may not seem possible, but you can declutter in five-minute increments. Will you get an entire room cleaned out using five-minute increments? Nope. At least not for a bit.

However, you might clean out a junk drawer…or your socks…or a few excess purses.

Decluttering doesn’t have to be earth-shattering.

Declutter for five minutes while you wait on dinner to cook, while your kids bathe, or on every commercial break for your favorite TV show.

Junk drawer full of stuff that needs decluttering

3 – Pick a spot that drives you nuts

When you are just starting out with decluttering, it’s OK to be a little bit selfish in where you start.

Pick a spot in your home that will give you great satisfaction, and go after it! It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Maybe start with the pile of shoes by the front door. Maybe tackle the pile of magazines on the coffee table.

If you have a dumping ground of items, set a 15-minute timer and chip away at it every day for a week.

If you start with a spot that drives you nuts, the satisfaction of finishing that area will be so much more pleasurable.

Side note: It is recommended you start with your stuff. Nothing starts a fight like starting your decluttering efforts with someone else’s belongings. Shared spaces are totally game though!

Several pairs of shoes piled up that need to be put away.

4 – Fill just one bag

My entire decluttering and simple living journey started by filling just one bag full of clothes. I knew I needed to simplify my life, and filling a single grocery bag with clothes I hated seemed easy enough.

If you need to start decluttering, go grab a single grocery bag and start with it.

Look for clothes with tags on them, clothes that are worn out, or clothes that you don’t like.

Fill a bag with five books you will never read, and let the guilt go with them!

5 – Clear one shelf

Sometimes we approach our clutter with the wrong plan. If you are staring at a closet or a bookshelf literally overflowing with stuff, start with a single shelf.

If the shelf is too big or too messy, start with half the shelf.

If half a shelf is too much, start with a single category of items.

You don’t have to clear out an entire closet in one afternoon. You can clear all the summer tops from one shelf in your closet in an hour. Start small.

6 – Ignore the hard stuff (for now)

If you are decluttering your home, whatever you do, don’t start with your memorabilia and other sentimental items. You will fail.

Save your photographs, special belongings from lost loved ones, and saved childhood items for another day.

Decluttering takes practice, especially if you are at new at it. You need to build up those decluttering muscles before you take on the heavy stuff!

Related Post: Help with Sentimental Clutter

A box of photographs and old memories which can contribute to sentimental clutter.

7 – Don’t bother involving your family (yet)

If you want to be successful with decluttering, you need to start with your own stuff.

Yes, your kid’s room may be a disaster. Yes, your spouse’s stuff may be overtaking your desk.

No matter how tempting it is to start with other people’s stuff, DO NOT DO IT. (Sorry, sometimes yelling is necessary. You’ll thank me later!)

Your family needs to see you letting go of your excess before allowing you to help them let go of their stuff.

Once you learn how to work through your own emotions related to your own clutter, you will be in a much better spot to help your family when it’s their turn.

8 – Declutter your bedroom first

If you aren’t sure where to start with your decluttering efforts, start decluttering in your bedroom.

You spend so many hours in your bedroom. Yes, many of those hours are sleeping. However, your bedroom is the first view you have in the morning and the last view at night.

Treat yourself to the calmness of a decluttered bedroom. While you are at it, make your bed every morning too!

It will set the tone for your whole day and give you a retreat at the end of every night.

A bedroom with a bed that has orange, yellow, white and blue pillows, a nightstand with orange flowers, and a decorative tray at the end of the bed.

9 – Make it easy

When decluttering, make the effort easy.

If you have very young kids, declutter their items while they sleep. (I have no shame.)

If your kids are older, bribe them and allow them to keep the funds from any of their stuff they sell.

Invite a friend over if it’s really bad or if you need an unbiased opinion.

Cut corners when making dinner. Order a pizza every Friday night for your weekly decluttering session.

Skip a few cleaning tasks that week to declutter instead.

Whatever you do, make decluttering easy on yourself. You can’t do it all. It’s a balance. Give yourself a little grace.

10 – Create a “homework box”

Even if you start with the “easy” stuff, you are going to run into some roadblocks. When this happens, create and use a “homework box”.

The homework box is where you put things you simply can’t manage to emotionally handle right now.

Your homework box might hold photographs, old papers, baby clothes, old books. You name it. There’s no limit to what you can put in the homework box.

However, there is a limit to how many homework boxes you should have. Create ONE. That’s all.

If your homework box is full, it’s time to deal with it before moving on. If you aren’t ready, go declutter an easier area. (See all the suggestions above.)

Related post: Why is decluttering so hard?

11 – Reward yourself

So often we set these crazy impossible goals for ourselves, and then, once we accomplish the impossible, we do nothing.

Don’t do nothing. If you set a goal to tackle your closet, give yourself a reward when you are done.

11 Rules for Decluttering so You Don’t Lose Your Sanity

The Best Strategies for Getting Rid of Your Stuff After Decluttering

relaxed woman sitting holding a cup of tea

11 Simple Tasks To Ease Into DeclutteringRead More

The Invisible Cost of Clutter: 5 Clutter Costs You Shouldn’t Ignore

October 3 // by Brooke

We don’t always realize it, but there is an invisible cost to clutter.

The cost of clutter lurks in the excessive clothes we stuff into our closets, the super cute seasonal decorations we must have for this year, and the craft supplies we need for that fun project we have in mind.

The cost of clutter is hidden in the book we buy when we have twenty unread books at home, or the free baby items we take from a friend even though we already have a drawer full of cute little PJs.

There is a cost involved with the worn-out dishcloth we save for “cleaning” and in the casserole dish we insist on keeping even though we have five others in our kitchen right now.

There are other costs too, less obvious costs, that impact our day-to-day lives.

You can’t afford to keep ignoring these expensive costs of clutter.

stressed woman picking up and decluttering her home

5 Ways Clutter Costs You:

1. The financial cost of clutter

Financial loss is the most obvious cost of clutter. If you buy things you don’t need, you are spending unnecessarily.

Buying things you don’t need can create a domino effect of financial problems:

The need to buy a bigger home.
The necessity of renting a storage unit (often a HUGE waste of money!)
The cost of upkeeping an item.
The cost of organizing the items we buy.
The need to buy duplicates for “lost” items.
The wasting of precious funds in your bank account.

Clutter makes us poorer financially.

woman looking up at empty wallet, as clutter costs us money

2. The emotional cost of clutter

Clutter doesn’t simply cost us money, it also has an emotional expense.

Have you ever looked at a pair of jeans in your closet and instantly hated yourself for being your current size?

Or maybe you have a box of items given to you by a family member, but the thought of keeping them brings you no joy, only guilt or sadness?

We force ourselves to carry the weight of our clutter when really, there is an easier way of living.

Sometimes, we beat ourselves up over the guilt of spending money on things we never used, or hurting the environment by letting things go.

Emotions when decluttering are hard, but one way to avoid future emotional pain is to let go and avoid unnecessary accumulation of clutter future forward. You just have to get past the first hump of letting items go!

Clutter makes us emotionally miserable.

Related post: Why is decluttering so hard?

3. The productivity cost of clutter

When your home or workspace is a cluttered mess, it limits what you can do in an efficient and productive way.

For example, if you are moving around piles of paper clutter, sitting down and taking care of your paperwork becomes and monumental task, one that often gets avoided and possibly causes missed payments.

A cluttered home may cause you to feel behind on your daily chores, as every room seems daunting, so you simply ignore it all, which ultimately causes you more stress.

If you can’t manage your home in an efficient manner, it may cause you to miss out on time with your family or doing things that make you happy.

Clutter costs us productivity.

4. The health cost of clutter

Visual clutter is often a reflection of how we feel inside. Clutter can easily trigger feelings of anxiety and stress in a person, making you feel even more miserable.

Even though anxiety, depression and chronic pain can often slow down or even halt the act of decluttering, the clutter staying can actually make those feelings worse!

Stress also impacts our heart health and motivation to do other things that are more heart-healthy.

There is also the loss of self-confidence that comes from holding on to clutter and living in a home that we are not proud of. When your self-confidence is low, it has a huge impact on the actions you take to make yourself a healthier person.

Clutter costs us our health.

Related post: 5 Health Benefits of Living With Less

5. Relationship cost of clutter

Clutter can impact your relationships with those inside and outside of your home.

Clutter can cause marital strife over how the house is kept or over financial worries caused from overspending on unnecessary items.

If your home is cluttered and messy, you may be afraid to invite guests over to spend time with you.

You may fight with your family members about chores and picking items up, when in reality, there’s too little space or no system in place.

Clutter costs us our relationships with other people.

How to declutter?

OK, so clutter can be expensive, financially and in other ways. What next? How do you manage to get rid of all the clutter?

Start small.

One of my favorite ways to declutter doesn’t involve getting rid of one single item. Instead, it’s about developing the habit of keeping clutter from entering into your home! Easy-peasy.

Take a no-shopping challenge. Commit to using up what you have before going out to buy something new.

Then, start decluttering one small space…a bookshelf, a drawer, a section of your closet. Don’t go crazy. Get a few quick decluttering wins first, then move on to the next areas.

If you want even more coaching through the decluttering process, get on the waitlist for The Tidy Habit, a decluttering course that will help walk you through decluttering your home and keep it that way…forever.

Get on the waitlist for The Tidy Habit now, and be the first to know when it opens!

Are You Clutter Blind?

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Use It or Lose It: A Brilliantly Simple Decluttering Rule

September 12 // by Brooke

My big declutter led me to recognize one major factor in how I managed my household…we had a lot of waste.

We wasted food, personal care products, cleaning products, paper products and more.

I was not using items we purchased (waste of money), and we were throwing things out because they expired, didn’t fit our home or lifestyle, or we no longer had a use for them.

It was during our massive clean-out that I developed the “use it up” principle.

What is the “use it up” principle”?

The “use it up” principle is pretty simple in concept, but it does admittedly take some practice to create a new habit of actually implementing it.

The underlying theme behind the principle is to be first aware of what you own and then commit to using up any possible items before buying new.

That sounds easy enough.

However, clutter often builds up because we want what’s new, shiny, and better than what we already own.

There is a thrill we get from buying something new. We actually get a brain endorphin from shopping, and that desire for that endorphin often outweighs the logic behind using what we already have on hand.

This, my friend, is how clutter ends up in your home.

Related Post: The Invisible Cost of Clutter

**Why do we have excess items we could be using?**

Sometimes we have an accumulation of things because of the person we think we “should be” rather than who we are now.

Sometimes, we have excess because we prefer the exhilaration of new vs old.

We build up excess by stocking up on super healthy foods we have zero intentions of actually consuming. Or we do intend to consume those healthy foods, but that junk food is just a little too tempting.

We build up excess clutter by buying bullet journals when we actually prefer digital calendars.

We build up excess by buying household items that are “better” or “healthier” or whatever claim they make.

Declutter and then take inventory of what you already own

First, decluttering the things you know you will never, ever use will make seeing what is left much easier to process!

Then, the super-easy way to prevent excess is to know your inventory. This simple practice works so well when managing clutter.

To do this, group like items together. If they are spread throughout the house, you’ll never really know what you own.

Knowing what you have available, makes it more obvious when you think you need to go shopping.

When you’re done with taking inventory, maybe try doing a no spend challenge so you can use up what you do have.

Related Post: No Spend Grocery Challenge

The 5 Most Common Areas of Clutter Where You Can Implement the “Use It Up” Principle

Over the years, I’ve found there are five categories where you can implement the “use it up” principle most often. This isn’t an exclusive list, but if you are unsure where to start to keep clutter at bay (and save money), then this is where I would start.

Food

Before we decluttered, we actually wasted a lot of food. It sounds odd that food would be related to clutter, but planning and having a waste-not mindset often extends to our fridge and pantry too.

Look in your fridge. Do you have any science experiments hanging out in the back, buried deep within?

Chances are, there are at least a few scary items lurking in there.

When you treat your food with the “use it up” principle, it gets you in the mindset to not go and buy more groceries to add to your fridge before you use up what you have.

How do you do this though?

Maybe you hate leftovers. Maybe there’s only one or two of you in the household. Maybe you hate cooking at home.

Here are few suggestions to reduce food waste and use up what you have before the science experiments (AKA food clutter) build-up:

Before grocery shopping, see if you can make one more meal with what you have on hand.
Always “shop” from your pantry and fridge with your grocery list, before leaving the house.
Look for easy substitutions with the items you already have on hand.
Designate a specific shelf in your fridge for leftovers, so they don’t get lost in the back.
Get in the practice of freezing leftovers when you make too much.
Have a plan to eat from the freezer at least once a week (if you are in the practice of freezing leftovers).

Related Post: Create a More Minimalist Pantry

full fridge with old food needing decluttered

Paper Products

I have an obsession with the idea of journaling and paper planning. Keyword here…idea. I want to be one of those people who journal religiously every single day and create a beautiful bullet journal planner.

It’s never going to happen. I’m simply not that person.

I am the person who likes to buy beautiful notebooks and calendars with all the pretty pens. I’m not the person who likes to use them.

What’s the solution?

The first step is to recognize I will never use those supplies I bought, at least not in the way they were intended. The second step is to come up with a plan for them.

I now have really pretty notebooks for my grocery lists, random thoughts, etc. It makes me happy. They are getting used. I’ve learned to stop buying them.

Look at your paper products. Do you have them all stored in one area? Is it easy enough to take inventory?

Just like with food, don’t buy anything not on your list. Before you go shopping, “shop” at home first.

If you have a notebook with a few empty pages left, commit to using it for grocery lists this month and random notes. Then, recycle the used papers.

If you have planners that are past their dates and unused, go ahead and recycle those bad boys.

If you have a planner you bought in January and now it’s halfway through the year, either commit to using it or give it to someone who will before the year is over.

Use it up! (Or get rid of it!)

Related Post: How to Organize Your Paper Clutter

Office Supplies

Like paper products, office supplies have a way of creeping up on us. Before you know it, you have 156 pens in your junk drawer, and only half of them work!

First, gather all your office supplies together, to get a true inventory of what you own. Nothing says “No, don’t buy those cute gel pens” like the image in your mind of the 200 (grouped together) you already own at home.

Grouping things together is powerful, both visually for your mental awareness and from a common-sense approach to the sheer number of things we own.

When we first went through our office supplies, I realized we had more pens and pencils than we could possibly use for years. I don’t like to be wasteful, so I grabbed my handy quart-sized food bags and put the “extras” in there.

Now, when we need new office supplies, we “shop” from our inventory stored out of the way.

Commit to using up all your current office supplies before buying any more.

Related Post: Small Office Ideas to Maximize Your Space

Personal Care Products

Is your bathroom cluttered? If so, there’s probably some products in there you can start applying the “use it up” principle to right now!

First, declutter. Life is easier when you start with this step.

If you have products you know you won’t ever use, don’t torture yourself by holding on to them. Let them go.

Then, take inventory of what you already own. Commit to using them all up before buying more. Remember, you like these items. That’s why you didn’t declutter them.

If you don’t like the items remaining, then it’s time to be honest with yourself, learn from it, and move on.

Common items you can apply the “use it up” principle to in your bathroom:

Lotion
Travel-sized products
Shampoos/conditioners
Soap
Beauty masks
Hair products
Make-up
Samples
First aid products

Related Post: Declutter Your Bathroom

bathroom products to use up when decluttering

Cleaning Products

Cleaning products have a way of building up and cluttering those spaces under your kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, utility rooms and linen closets.

We all have our own cleaning routines, and I’m not one to tell you what cleaning products you should or shouldn’t buy.

However, if you want to have a more clutter-free space, apply the “use it up” principle to your cleaning products too.

Take inventory of what you currently own. Again, you may want to group them all together.

Do you have any products that duplicate each other? Do you have products you know you will never use?

First, dispose of (responsibly and according to directions) any products you know you will not ever use.

Then, commit to using what is left. Maybe one product isn’t your favorite, you keep avoiding it, but in all honesty, it gets the job done.

Make a promise to yourself that you will use that product first, before buying any more.

If you are looking to simplify your cleaning products routine, there are some great resources out there.

Keep reminding yourself, “use it up” first. Buy replacements later.

Natural cleaning supplies to use up and minimize

Use it up (or toss it out)

Decluttering requires a mind-set shift and a change in habits. It doesn’t happen overnight, but with practice, it does get easier.

One simple habit you can implement today is to simply know what you own and then, commit to using it with the “use it up” principle. Also, be honest with yourself. If you aren’t going to use it, time to let it go!

Use It or Lose It: A Brilliantly Simple Decluttering RuleRead More

The Tormenting Weight of Clutter

August 29 // by Brooke

It’s just an old pair of jeans. That’s what I told myself every time I saw them, and I knew they had to go.

Turns out though, they were far more than “just an old pair of jeans”.

When we did our “Big Declutter” a few years ago, the closet was the first place I started decluttering.

I cleaned out bags and bags of clothes.

I pulled out clothes that were too tight, too lose, well beyond repairs and way too unique to realistically wear on a regular basis.

The Big Declutter also lead to creating a minimalist-ish capsule wardrobe.

A year after our big declutter, we moved homes, and those old jeans…they came with us!

They immediately went onto the shelf, and then they sat there two more years.

More than just jeans

Those old jeans were more than just a pair of pants.

They were designer jeans I spent way too much money to acquire. They were super soft. They were worn in. They were long and beautiful.

Those old jeans were also too tight after having babies. The length was too long after I gave up wearing high heels and converted to tennis shoes and hiking boots.

Those old jeans represented a past lifestyle when I worked outside the home and put more emphasis on fashion and money-making than anything else.

Keeping clutter that makes us miserable

Those jeans made me miserable. I felt overweight, out of shape, frumpy, and old every single time I looked at them.

If clutter makes us so miserable, why do we allow it?

We hold on to clutter because we are scared to let go. We are scared of what’s on the other side, as it is unknown.

However, there’s no reason to be terrified of getting rid of clutter.

Once we get rid of clutter, we feel lighter, freer, and have space to breathe.

We let go of the emotions tied to our clutter and start with a blank slate.

Clutter is heavy.

3 Ways to Rid the Weight of Clutter

1 – Recognize what you’ve already “let go”

Most of us don’t enjoy clutter. We don’t enjoy moving around piles of stuff, attempting to squeeze a couple more inches onto a shelf, or stepping around the messy stacks on our floors. In fact, we often hate it.

We are often scared of letting something go when in reality, we’ve already let it go.

Those old jeans, I knew I would never fit in them again. Yet, I kept them to remind me of a time when I was thinner, wore fancier shoes, and had a life that was revolved around just me.

Letting go of those jeans didn’t make me forget that prior life.

Instead, letting go of the clutter allowed me to remember that prior life with fondness, rather than feel miserable every time I looked at what I considered a keepsake from another time.

Chances are, you have clutter you’ve already “let go”.

You have items sitting on a shelf, buried in a box, or (gasp) sitting in a storage unit.

You’ve already made a decision to not use that clutter. Yet, you hold on to it for some reason.

Recognize that clutter just hanging out, going unused, and do yourself the favor of letting it go. Chances are, you’ve already physically “let it go” simply by not using it.

2 – Find a healthier way to remember

Many of us hold on to clutter as a way to remember, but really, it torments us rather than soothes us.

I challenge you to find a healthier way to hold on to memories.

Maybe you have an old heirloom you could display or give to another family member, rather than bury in a box.

Maybe you have all your clothes from a smaller size that isn’t unattainable after birthing children and growing a couple of decades into an older, more mature version of yourself.

Maybe you let go of love letters from a failed marriage that make you cry tears of misery rather than help you remember the good times.

Maybe you let go of a hobby or craft you no longer enjoy but you feel guilty over all the money you invested.

Maybe you let go of photos of old relationships or filled with memories that make you miserable.

Maybe you donate a wedding dress for an angel baby.

Maybe you take some old clothes from a deceased spouse and have them made into a special quilt before you let the rest go.

Maybe you let go of baby gear knowing another child is unlikely and focus your energy on the next exciting adventure.

Let the weight of all that clutter go. Give yourself space to breathe.

baby bassinet held on to instead of donating

3 – Worse case, conduct an experiment

If you really can’t bear to part with something you know isn’t healthy to hold on to, at the very least, conduct an experiment.

Take the items in question and put them in a box. Then, put that box in your car trunk, the garage, or a storage closet.

Next, set a calendar reminder 2-6 weeks from now. I think 6 weeks is a really long time, but sometimes that period is needed to prove a point.

Then, wait.

If in 2-6 weeks you haven’t missed those items, there’s a good chance you can let them go without regret.

Think about the weight of that clutter. Think of how it was lifted when out of your normal living space.

It’s no longer tormenting you, teasing you, and telling you that you are a failure, you win over clutter!

jeans to go into a box and be stored for a few weeks to make sure they want to be decluttered

Lift the weight of your clutter!

Just recently, years after decluttering our home, those old jeans made it to the consignment store where I got $20 for them. (Remember, they were super expensive designer jeans, which was another element of guilt I had with just letting them go.)

You know what? That $20 bill felt way better than the weight of holding on to those jeans.

No longer did they torment me. No longer did I feel any guilt or shame for not fitting in them.

Instead, I had $20 in my pocket and haven’t had a moment of regret since I let them go.

The Tormenting Weight of ClutterRead More

11 Pack-Rat Secrets to Selling on Facebook Marketplace

August 22 // by Brooke

Want to learn how to turn clutter into cash? Selling on Facebook Marketplace may be easier than you think.

Even if you are already a seasoned veteran for selling on Facebook, you may find some ways to make the process a whole lot easier.

I had a goal for my clutter.

About a year ago, I set a goal. To make $1000 selling items from my garage to use to create an organization wall for purses, coats, hats, and shoes. A makeshift mudroom for my 1000 square foot condo.

The mission felt lofty when I set out to conquer it. How on earth was I going to make that much money, as my garage was full of junk? But you know what they say, one man’s trash, another man’s treasure. Boy they weren’t kidding!

What I didn’t realize was that buried under all the dust and trash, were things that could easily be converted into cash via Facebook Marketplace.

With some encouragement from a friend, I decided to tackle the overwhelming task of clearing out the clutter.

Clutter filled garage. Under all this clutter is cash to be made by selling on Facebook. — Under all this clutter is cash to be made by selling on Facebook.

Declutter Attempts

To be fair, this wasn’t my first attempt, nor my last attempt to declutter.

There was the “great declutter of 2015/16” when I made room for my new baby boy.

There was the “divorce declutter.”

Then, there was the “COVID downsize my business of 12 years declutter” to come.

Jump-Starting the Decluttering Process

My journey to sell my clutter started out slow. I was listing things like fondue sets and Keurig machines, used items I had been gifted but had never used. These things that were easily let go.

I was making money, but it was at a bit of a snail’s pace—$5 here, $10 there, the occasional $20. It was like I was warming up for the main event.

At some point, my mentality shifted, and I realized I needed to face the more challenging items. Items that were taking up prime real estate AND represented BIG BUCKS! Items like cribs and strollers that represented SO MUCH MORE!

You see, by listing items like these, I was saying goodbye to the idea of having another child—something at the time I desperately wanted. But given the divorce, no romantic prospects, and zero desire to parent another child on my own, I knew the likelihood of having another child was slim.

Every time I walked by these precious baby items, it felt like a slap in the face to this reality!

Besides, I was finally able to ration, if by some miracle from the heavens, I met someone I wanted to parent with, while I was still in the baby-making window, I COULD ALWAYS BUY NEW GEAR! Such a novel concept for the frugal pack-rat in me!

And so, with much encouragement from my loved ones, I set forth listing the big stuff. And the rewards began to compound. Five months into my Facebook selling journey, I achieved my $1000 goal.

It felt so good to be reclaiming my space and to let go of things that were weighing heavily on my heart. To begin dwelling in possibility.

And then…

The COVID Downsize

Now, I still have yet to reap my reward of an organizational wall, COVID changed that for me.

On March 13th, 2020, I made the painful decision to downsize my massage business of 12 years. And the organizational wall took a back seat. My financial situation suddenly became a little more tentative, and my time and energy shifted.

I had serious work to accomplish!

I would be downsizing from a four-room treatment center, with a waiting room, retail area, multiple bathrooms, and plenty of closets to a one-room office in the middle of a suite of offices.

After occupying a charming 100+-year-old home for my office over a decade, I had accumulated some stuff!

I had antiques from my grandmother, relics from my grandfather’s stationery store, massage supplies and equipment, and retail to sell. To say the place was brimming would be an understatement!

IT WAS DAUNTING!!!

It took me the solid month of April to move everything from the quaint office to my garage, my 1000 square foot condo, and a short term rental property I own. These are the spaces I just cleared out months prior!

All three of these locations were packed to the gills. You couldn’t slide a credit card into my two-room rental property. It was that full.

But instead of panicking, I knew exactly where to turn…Facebook. I had experience selling items on Facebook!

I’d learned a thing or two about selling via Facebook in my casual attempt to earn enough for my organizational wall. Now was the time to get serious.

I had one month to liquidate everything from my rental property before renters moved in on June 1st. Talk about feeling the pressure!

And amazingly, I was able to accomplish my mission. On May 27th, a few days early, my rental unit was cleared of goods and ready to be rented.

My home and garage another story (a story still in progress), but the rental unit was empty. I was elated, and I had Facebook to thank!

11 Pack-Rat Tips for Selling on Facebook Marketplace

1) Set a goal and a reward.

It is amazing how much this can motivate you to keep going when things seem hopeless!

2) Keep track of what you sell on Facebook.

It is easy to feel deflated when you have a $5 day, but if you keep track, you can easily see how your efforts compound.

3) Have an accountability friend.

This tip is beyond important! You want to be able to share your progress with someone who will celebrate your wins and cheer you on when you get discouraged!

4) Research and join all the different selling groups in your area.

I am apart of 6 different Facebook selling groups in my area. The more places I list my items, the easier it is to sell them.

5) Don’t be afraid to list small items.

I have a rule that I won’t list something for less than $5, but I sell a lot of things for $5, and it adds up. Also, I learned that people are often more inclined to pick items up for $5 than were it free. Strange, but true in my experience.

6) Set a daily goal/limit.

I say goal/limit because selling on Facebook is a little different from selling via the more traditional route of a garage sale.

When you have a garage sale, you want to plump up your inventory so that people have all kinds of options, and they spontaneously purchase items they didn’t even know they needed.

With Facebook, it’s a little different. You are going to get multiple inquiries for every one of your listings. It is easy to get overwhelmed with messages if you don’t limit your daily numbers, especially when you are getting the hang of it!

When I first started selling on Facebook, my daily goal/limit was five items. Five items was what I could manage between playing tag with my son, answering phone calls, making meals, and generally getting through the day. This may not sound like a lot, but trust me, it was plenty.

7) Designate specific days for selling on Facebook.

It is easy to waste time scheduling pickups and then have people be late or decide to come another day.

If you designate certain days as Facebook selling days, you can schedule pickups throughout the day without trying to juggle your other daily demands.

Which brings me to my next point…

8) First come, first serve.

Pretty simple, and it may seem heartless, but you will thank me later for this one!

Facebook is full of fickle people. They will seem interested. Potential customers will even set a time for pick-up, then…nothing.

One easy way to prevent no-shows from stinging is to implement a first-come, first-serve protocol. First one here wins!

9) Venmo is your friend.

In the beginning, I would get soooo frustrated trying to schedule meetups, people would say they were coming, and I would decline others offers, and then they wouldn’t show. Enter Venmo.

Want me to hold an item for you? Cool, just Venmo me the funds, and it’s yours.

10) Some items don’t sell well on Facebook.

Don’t be afraid to look into things like Thred-Up, local consignment shops, or ‘gasp’ the trash can.

11) Have customers come to you.

Living in a small town, I haven’t had any trouble having folks meet me at my home. But, if you don’t feel comfortable having people come to your home, bring items to your office or a central location to exchange.

Pre-COVID, this was an excellent solution for me. Instead of trying to schedule and reschedule times, I would give them a window of time where they could pick things up from the receptionist at my office.

Now Get Out There And Sell Your Clutter

I hope I’ve inspired you to sell items on Facebook Marketplace!

Making cash from your clutter is a rewarding journey on so many different levels!

There is the thrill of making cash from “junk”, the reward of creating space, and the joy of watching others get excited about your old gear!

I still have a long way to go in my decluttering journey! But I’m getting there, and, I’ve gotten rid of a ton!

Speaking of tons, I even set a new goal. Once I’m done decluttering my home, my son, and I will get a puppy named Ton-Ton.

Ali Boehm is a Massage Therapist in the mountains of Colorado. She has been on a decluttering journey for years but finally hit her stride after a major downsize to her business due to COVID. Selling on Facebook Marketplace was a game-changer for this mission. To learn more about Ali, her business, and her podcast, visit The Massage Business Mama.

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