How to Own Less Stuff pt 2

Read part 1 here: How to Own Less Stuff pt 1

Curate and gather carefully

I want my home to be a place I admire. I want it to look nice and tidy so I can easily overview my things. By focusing on curating my things and home, I’m less tempted to buy something new since I've built an appreciation for the things I already own.

A messy space easily gets overwhelming. Consider your favourite store, everything is laid out neatly and there is a sense in how everything is presented. Now, that doesn't mean I consider my home a showroom ready for an interior magazine to come shoot at any time.

Avoid too many backups

I mean we all remember in 2020 when there was no toilet paper or pasta available in any store and sometimes it makes sense to buy in bulk. But if you have a small home and also if you are focusing on owning less consider what backups you actually need. Also, a risk with having too many backups is that you forget that you bought them in the first place.

Declutter regularly and as you go.

If I go through my makeup drawer and notice things that I haven’t used in a while or that might have expired I throw them away immediately. Sometimes I take a tour of our apartment and just put all the things that annoy me in a basket and then go through them to either declutter or store them away. Making decluttering a habit is a great help if you want to own less.

Shift your focus.

It can be difficult to stop shopping when we're constantly bombarded with messages about the next thing to buy. I find that shifting my attention away from stores and into experiences and creativity helps. It can be arranging a dinner for my friends, going to the theatre or museum, or learning a new skill. I find that the joy of experiences tends to stay longer than the ones from buying things.

Keep a wishlist

I've mentioned keeping a wishlist several times but it is because it's such a great way to stop impulse buying. Consider for example, that you're favourite influencer bought some new shoes and the instant you see them you know you have to have them. Then I would like to tell you that if you didn’t need those shoes ten seconds ago you don’t need them right away. So, put them on your wishlist and then wait a while. I like to wait for two days or a month depending on what the item is and what the it costs.