Inside: If you want a clutter-free home don’t buy these things as they’re likely to end up contributing to clutter in your home.
For many, fighting against clutter is a constant battle. We’re constantly trying to organize, tidy, purge, and rearrange in the quest to create a calm environment.
In today’s consumerist society, the temptation to shop is everywhere. And it’s hard to say “no” to the desire to splurge on something that’s caught your eye.
All of the stuff that you buy and bring home? It can become clutter, even if you initially thought you really wanted or needed it.
To keep a clutter-free home, the best thing you can do is cut back on your purchases.
And while there are some things you definitely should keep buying (food and necessary household items), there are plenty of things you should strongly reconsider to keep your space free of clutter.
If you want a clutter-free home don’t buy these things…
Want a Clutter-Free Home? Don’t Buy These 8 Things
If you want a clutter-free home don’t buy these things as they’re likely to become clutter.
#1: Knick-knacks and home decor.
If you’ve ever gone thrifting or walked the aisles at a TJ Maxx, chances are you’ve sometimes come home with at least one random piece of home decor to add to your collection. A new fake plant, clock, mirror, vase, or framed art – something you didn’t necessarily set out to buy but found its way into your cart.
When it comes to home decor and keeping clutter under control, less is more.
Skip the little knick-knacks and home decor odds and ends and take a more thoughtful, big-picture approach to decorating your space.
Keep in mind that every decor piece collects dust and needs to be moved when cleaning. And if you have too many pieces it can make your home look cluttered.
#2: Single-use kitchen gadgets and appliances.
There’s a kitchen device out there to accomplish pretty much every task under the sun. Avocado slicers, egg separators, pineapple corers, garlic slicers, herb strippers, pasta makers… the list goes on.
While some of these devices might be convenient and make tasks slightly easier in the kitchen, they all take up space. And when you’re trying to stay organized and keep clutter to a minimum, they just aren’t necessary.
Before you bring another single-use kitchen gadget into your home, stop and ask yourself if you can accomplish the same task with something you already have.
Chances are, you can achieve the same result with a knife, a spoon, or something else that’s already sitting around your kitchen.
#3: Cheap clothes.
If your closet is overfilled with endless shirts, shoes, dresses, pants, and other apparel, you might have a fast fashion problem.
While the idea of buying clothes for cheap can be enticing, you get what you pay for – in most cases, items that stretch, sag, tear, or otherwise fall apart after a few wears.
It’s easy to fill your closet with tons of affordable items – but it can lead to a huge clutter problem when you don’t end up actually wearing most of the stuff you own.
Instead, focus on high-quality, well-made, versatile pieces that will last for a streamlined, clutter-free wardrobe. You can purchase them secondhand to save money.
#4: Books.
Now, not all books are clutter – let’s be clear. But the thought of filling floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with endless novels and autobiographies is a fast recipe for a cluttered room.
Those books will sit there for years, collecting dust. You might read a few of them. But generally speaking, they’re just taking up space.
Instead of adding to your physical book collection, consider investing in an e-reader or taking the occasional trip to the library.
That is not to say you need to get rid of all the books you own, but it is a good idea to carefully consider whether you should continue to add to your collection.
#5: Anything that you justify with “…because it’s on sale!”
A good deal can be really tempting.
That’s how many of us end up with all kinds of stuff we otherwise wouldn’t have. Hats, ice cream makers, makeup, plants, paintings, furniture – the list goes on.
And while you might’ve gotten it for a great price, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need it in your life.
Instead, those impulse buys are more likely to go unused, collecting dust. They were a great idea – but not so great in practice.
Remember that cheap, and even free, stuff can quickly contribute to clutter in your home. Everything you own costs you in some way.
Stop buying stuff just because it’s on sale and start planning your purchases more intentionally, and you’ll cut down on the clutter in your home.
#6: Coffee mugs and water bottles.
Coffee mugs and water bottles have somehow gone from functional items to trendy status symbols.
The temptation to buy the latest and greatest Starbucks mug or Stanley water bottle can be tough to resist – and when you cave in, you contribute to your clutter problem.
You don’t need an endless supply of drinkware. Realistically speaking, you only need a few mugs and glasses to rotate through – and only one or two water bottles, if you’re being resourceful.
Avoid the temptation to splurge and stick to what you’ve got in your kitchen cabinets to keep clutter to a minimum.
#7: Holiday decorations.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with some holiday decorations. But it’s easy to fall into the trap of buying too much holiday decor – which can be a big contributor to clutter.
A few tasteful, seasonal pieces can find their place in virtually any home.
But you don’t need Christmas-themed figurines to perch on every single windowsill, or pumpkin-inspired decor for every tabletop and counter when fall rolls around.
Not only does all of that stuff make your space feel cluttered and overwhelming, but you’ve got to find a place to store it all and keep it organized when it isn’t in use – which is most of the year.
#8: Impulsive hobby supplies.
Some people find a hobby or two that they love and stick to them. They develop their expertise, practice their craft, and invest in items to support that – which is great.
If you’re buying things for a hobby that you’re truly committed to, chances are you’re going to use them.
But if you’re an impulsive, adventurous, try-everything-once kind of hobbyist, you should probably just say “no” to the endless flow of hobby-related purchases that can come when you find a new interest.
Want to try knitting? Invest in a single pair of needles and a ball of yarn – don’t stock up on enough supplies to make scarves for everyone you know.
Considering pottery? Take a class at a local studio before you invest in a wheel, a kiln, and everything else you need to make it happen.
You can be a minimalist and enjoy hobbies. Just refrain from buying a lot of supplies for every potential activity you might be interested in.
What can you stop buying to keep your home clutter-free? Leave a comment and let me know!
Sign up on the form below to get weekly decluttering tips and inspiration sent straight to your inbox. You’ll also get the free 5 Areas to Declutter in 10 Minutes Checklist to help you get started decluttering today.
My impulse buy is beautiful plants for indoors.
plants are good for the environment. I love plants in my house. I also enjoy a well manicured and landscaped yard. Trees and flowers make me happy and the fragrance is delightful inside and outside.
Nope. I will buy clothes. I didn’t have enough as a kid, because my Mom bought one outfit per year.
I have a rule that I don’t always follow. If I have to dust it, I don’t want it.
I love that, Judy. Thanks for sharing!
Love this !
Now that’s definitely one to remember!!
good rule.
👍🏻
Thank you so very much for increasing my awareness. You are very special!
All the items pictured here, I have succumbed to purchasing at one time or another. As the years have passed, many of them, I am now in the “simplicity” mode. The good thing is that libraries, thrift stores, Good Will, have been, and still to some degree are, the beneficiaries of my “impulse buying” and yet not always impulse buying, because did enjoy these purchases, used them, read them, etc. However, in today’s world, keeping oneself focused, peaceful, calm, and in good health, which “stress” can endanger, is really a priority in maintaining good health and relationships. Good reminder today. I appreciate that I have learned and am doing O.K.!!
I’m with you, Betty. We have a couple consignment shops with local women being the owners. When I clean out my stuff I often will take it and ask if they will take it and sell it if I don’t want the money, I just want it gone. They are always more than happy to take it.
My impulse buys are balls of yarn. I do knit and/or crochet every day, but I can’t use up my supplies as quickly as I can buy them.
I can relate. I still enjoy browsing the yarn section.
I want to learn amigurumi. ( so cute)
I love September as many pretty journals and day planners hit the shelves. I recently realized I have a surplus of these items so I resolved to not even look at them for the rest of the year!
I’ve done the same with certain categories of items I love but already have plenty of (ahem, candles ;)). It’s easiest to just try and avoid those aisles completely.
I bought a candle mould and some wicks. Now I save my 1/2 burnt candles and when I have enough I make new candles.
That’s really smart!
I have the same resolve!! Yet while I have mastered most of my other Decluttering tragedies that is not one of them.
I have kept a journal since I was 15 yrs old. I am now 71.. ready to shred them all. don’t even want to look thru them .. a waste of time!
I read mine and enjoyed memories I’d forgotten. But most of them I shredded after tearfully reading. No need for my children to read and be confused about what they thought growing up.
Friends beware, if you inherit your parent’s home, rid what you don’t want first before moving your own stuff into your “new” home. Give your siblings whatever they want, do not become sentimental toward silly stuff. And before you do move those things in make certain you have minimized your things so that you will not start out cluttered but free!
My impulse buys are skincare and make-up. I always end up with multiples which clutter my vanity. One of my goals this year is to use up what I have before buying more – but it seems to be one of my issues, together with buying books.
I’ve been doing the same with hand soaps. I acquired too much and am slowly working through our supply :).
I buy too much of everything. Too many tee shirts. Too many books. Too many travel souvenirs. Too many gadgets that *might* make my life better/easier. Too many online classes. Too many streaming subscriptions. Too much fabric and too many supplies to support my quilting hobby. Too much. I have been decluttering and giving tons of stuff away but I still acquire too much. sometimes I think I use shopping as self-soothing, despite it being counter-productive.
That’s definitely a reason many people shop. You might find some helpful tips on how to slow your spending in this post: https://www.thesimplicityhabit.com/stop-buying-things-you-dont-need/. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I totally relate to this Emily! Online classes are such a weakness for me! I have so many that I purchased and haven’t even started! My aspirations are so high, but I fail on the execution because I’m overwhelmed on where to even start.
My husband says if you can’t eat it or drink it……don’t bring it home!
Not a bad guideline ;).
Hi Loraine, mine too! only one other caveat…. he gives me food, drink and clothes. I am sort of a Tom boy, so I am not much of a clothes person, and he knows it.
I think a lot of my buying issues, are all related to the hunt. I love getting something inexpensive and quality merchandise. Even if I don’t need it.
Love to read, I find myself at all kinds of book thrift stores. I have 2, 9 foot tall book shelves. They are full. I have all my books in a spread sheet, 549 …. obviously I know I have a problem. (at least my daughter tells me so) lol
Thank you for the article. I know I am not alone at least.
I can definitely relate with to many books. As a home education mom this is so hard for me. I have been decluttering books that we no longer use or won’t reuse in our home education. I have also been throwing away lots of old worksheets ect.. Doing this has been so freeing.
I think for a lot of homeschool moms it’s hard to let go of books and curriculum, but if you look at it as passing it along to someone else who can use it, it can sting a little less 🙂
Amazon ! It’s too easy to buy from. And all the adds on Facebook don’t help, so I delete them before looking unless it’s something I have already decided I need.
I stopped buying travel souvenirs. Whenever I’m away I buy one piece of clothing (which might be as simple as socks). My wardrobe is full but most of it reminds me of my travels so I love wearing the things I have. On the one occasion when I was travelling super-cheap-budget and had severe luggage weight restrictions (it was a world tour) I bought a pencil from each place I visited. Now I have one cup on my desk full of pencils with exotic names printed on them. Those are my wins, in regard to selective buying.
I love the pencil idea…useful and small 🙂
Years ago I started to buy charms in the cities or states or countries I visited and created a charm bracelet. Nice souvenirs that don’t take up a lot of space. And I never buy souvenirs for others because I feel if they’re not there why would it be meaningful.
My bad habit is buying too many grocery items I already have in the pantry. If it’s on sale, I will purchase it. My goal is to pause and think before I purchase something I may already have in my pantry. I want to get down to just what I need for one person. My husband and I raised a family of 5 and I still think I might run out of food supplies. I’m trying to empty my second freezer as it is full of items. This is an ongoing process. Thanks for everyone’s suggestions. They are all helpful for me.
Yes I can also relate to this style of shopping! With food cost rising and always 2 freezers full just for 2 trying to only buy what we need. It has taken a long time to reduce the freez
er!
I tried to post to this reply page and when I went to post my comment, it said I had already posted my comment, which I hadn’t. Don’t know what I did wrong.
You didn’t do anything wrong…I just review comments before they publish to the site to minimize spam 🙂
This is great advice! Costume jewelry amd holiday decor are my kryptonite! I just today had to walk away from a 3 foot tall ghost figurine. I just have to keep in mind that I don’t want to slog it all to the attic! I am trying to simplify and I agree it is very freeing! Thanks for the wisdom!
You’re welcome! I’m glad it was helpful.
I only shop for my groceries and household stuff weekly and stopped general merchandise shopping to avoid spending on unnecessary stuff and cluttering my home. Not buying anymore Chinese herbs till my stocks in the fridge are all used up.
I agree with all of these with some exceptions to #1 (home decor). I feel some knick knacks make a home feel cozy and lived in. I tried to really downsize in this department when we moved a while back but it felt like we were staged to sell our home. I will admit I have a throw pillow problem 😬 but luckily have room to store the out of season ones!
I think some decor is fine. It’s more about not continually buying more and more of it on an ongoing basis :).
Hello. I am testing out the 333 project and I realize I have way too many socks. I know they’re not part of the 33 however they take up two drawers of my dresser. I also have too many sheet sets.
Thank you for all your ideas. You have been so helpful in my quest for less.
Lisa
Thanks Julianna for another excellent article. Having more than a person needs results in more work – and money wasted.
I loved your article and love the pertinent comments, so great job. I will look for more of your posts. I bought my grandparents house, I can’t say no to family ‘Heirlooms,’ last month I got the old family crib & tho I kinda want to learn the piano, should I take my aunt’s piano from my cousin… 😐
That’s neat that you bought your grandparents house! Having a clear vision how you want your home to look, feel, and function can be helpful in practicing saying no to all the things other family members are attempting to gift you. Protect your yes’s so that your home doesn’t end up being filled with castoffs that you don’t want or need.
I grew up and remained poor for a long time. Scarcity is a trigger. I gave up Good Will for Lent in 2020 after seeing how much money I was spending on Retail Therapy. Towards the end of Lent when I was about to give in, all our stores shut down for 2 weeks! Saved! Now I may visit every 5 weeks, fill my cart, then put it all back, leaving without anything.
It’s interesting that you mentioned scarcity. I have an upcoming post that will be addressing that specifically. Thanks for sharing!
One of my downfalls are framed photos of family that were taken years ago when my nieces and nephews were young along with very old photos of ancestors at least 100 years old and long dead. Working on it but not easy!
I was once told by a coworker to have less clutter and spend less money when she saw something she liked, she would say to herself “I may admire, but do not need to acquire“.
I love this wish I could follow it all the time
I love that saying!
One piece you forgot in this post is that when you start following some of these suggestions, you reduce the clutter in your home. That, in turn, lead to an increase in the clutter($) in your bank account. That’s a good thing.
That’s definitely an added bonus…less clutter and saving more money 🙂
I’m yarn collector I use up my scraps by making house shoes and donating them
I’m doing pretty good, but I found my weakness through someone’s comment. .toss pillows. Also I don’t have the luxury of storage space. It is really any pillow that is no worn out.
but maaan, you used a picture of the cutest collection of mugs I have possibly ever seen and now I want to know where to get them! Lol 🙂
In all seriousness, very helpful inspiring article.
I’m guilty of every category you mentioned! Yikes! This was a good reminder for me. I’m also guilty of buying too many pens and cute notepads!!