Buyer Beware

What do weight problems, financial troubles, and clutter management struggles all have in common? They each stem from an imbalance between intake and outflow.

Sure, banishing clutter from your home requires getting rid of your excess stuff, but just as with weight and financial challenges, it doesn’t end there. Real long-term success also depends on how carefully you monitor and regulate what’s coming in, as well as what’s going out. 

If you’ve ever experienced a toilet overflow, you know that the crucial first step is to immediately turn off the water supply before you even reach for the plunger. Failing to prevent more water from accumulating while you work on unclogging the backup can lead to an even bigger mess that takes longer to clean up. But what happens if you don’t even know where the shutoff valve is?

Thanks to reality TV shows that highlight the issue of hoarding, most of us already know that compulsive shopping can lead to big problems with clutter. But what about impulsive shopping? While it may not lead you into bankruptcy or land you on an episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive, making purchases without thinking them through beforehand could be unraveling all of your grand plans to wrest control of your home away from your jumble of belongings. These decisions are the leaks that need to be plugged in order to better regulate the flow of items into your home. But where do these poor choices originate? Well, let’s see. Do any of these sound familiar?

• “Shopping just makes me feel better.”
• “I’d be a fool to pass up a deal like that!”
• “Oh look...I’ve always wanted one of those!”
• “But it was free!”
• “I can always use a few more of these.” (Or “I bought a few extra...just in case.”)
• “That would make such a cute gift...for someone.”
• “My friend thought I could use it and I didn’t want to offend her.”
• “They belonged to my grandmother and Mom wanted me to have them.”

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with keeping some extra toilet paper on hand (as I think we all learned earlier this year), but knowing when to stop buying it is vital. It’s okay to take advantage of a great deal...on something you were planning to buy anyway. But there’s a big difference between seizing an opportunity to save money on something you need and simply accumulating more stuff you don’t need because it was on sale. And that difference is forethought.

Before you make a purchase, ask yourself:

• Do I really need this? - So much of what we buy is want-based rather than need-based, and it's sometimes difficult to discern the difference. One strategy to help you is to create a running list of things you truly need that you add to as you become aware of the need. Refer back to it when you are considering purchasing something. If it’s not already on your list, you may not actually need it...at least not urgently. Perhaps waiting 24 hours before buying it will give you time to really mull it over or to remember something else you already own that could suffice instead.
• Do I have a plan for this? - Believe it or not, I never purchase anything without a specific plan on how I will use it and where I will store it. This planning has become a habit for me. (It drives my poor husband crazy that I always ask him to state his plan whenever he talks about buying something. But it works...LOL!) This ensures I make room for it before I bring it home, often forcing a decision between buying a new item or keeping another item. It’s amazing how often I talk myself out of a purchase simply because I haven’t figured out a spot for it yet. If you don’t know where you’ll store it, let it stay on the shop or warehouse shelf until you have that figured out.
• Is it really free? - Just because something costs $0 doesn’t mean it’s free. Every item you bring into your home comes with a cost...a space cost, a convenience cost (hint: it’s not convenient to have to find a place for everything, especially if it’s something you don’t need), and an opportunity cost. Even freebies begin to look like less of a bargain when those other costs are too high. If a purchase comes with a "free gift" that you don't need and you can't think of anyone else who could use it, decline it. They'll find someone else to give it to ...trust me. 
• Will buying this really make me feel better? - Shopping is about as effective a form of therapy as drinking, doing drugs, or binging on chocolate. It’s almost always a temporary high followed by a much bigger (and often destructive) crash. Especially if you are trying to gain control over your home environment, shopping will only lead to regret, guilt and frustration later as you add to the existing problem. In fact, working to get your house in order instead will likely improve your outlook much more profoundly than buying more stuff will. Find a healthier alternative to boost your mood when you need a lift.
• How does accepting stuff I don’t need/won’t use from a friend or relative help either one of us? - Allowing guilt or a sense of obligation to manipulate you into accumulating more clutter will not only set you back from your goal, it could end up causing you some resentment toward the giver. Kindly explain to them that you are working hard to pare down your belongings and restore a sense of control and therefore must decline their kind offer. If this is someone who loves and respects you, they will not be offended. If they are, it is a sign that they may not have your best interests at heart and it is therefore up to you to look out for #1.

• Who am I buying this for? - If you see something that would make a nice gift, figure out who will receive it before you buy it. Create a plan for when and how you will give it to them, where you will store it until then, and how you will remember you bought it for them. Even if you are buying it to give as generic teacher gifts or to the Secret Santa drawing at work, at least that is a specific plan. Selecting the right gift for someone should be personal and can be particularly tricky. Most people have more stuff than they know what to do with, so think carefully before adding to their stash of stuff without knowing for sure if it's something they want. The last thing you want to do is to give someone a burden as a gift, but that's what it will become if they can't use it. Simply buying a bunch of stuff because you like it and assume some to-be-determined recipient will too suggests you may actually be buying it for you. 
• How much is too much? - We all have things we like to keep on hand so we don't run out...toothpaste, toilet paper, lightbulbs, travel size shampoo, but the difference between being prepared and being overwhelmed is knowing when enough is enough and it’s time to stop collecting. Determine the limit up front. Defining the space where you store it can help you know when you’ve reached that point. When it’s full, stop.
  
  

With a little impulse control to help stem the tide of stuff flowing into your home, even conquering your clutter can be easy peasy!

---

---

Don't miss out! Sign up to get each new post of the EPL Blog delivered straight to your inbox each week.