10 Ways Stuff Quietly Creeps Into Your Life Without You Noticing

Have you ever woken up one day and realized that somehow your house had gotten a lot fuller and your life a lot more cluttered than you ever anticipated? It’s happened to me and, based on my own observations, nearly everyone I know. We all start off with the goal of keeping things tidy and staying on top of our stuff, but slowly the stuff takes over.

The problem is that stuff creeps into our lives quietly. It’s rarely a full-blown invasion that you might notice, but more like a long, slow leak. And if you don’t keep an eye on the leaks, they add up to bigger problems down the road.

What’s the solution? Well, first you have to know exactly where the stuff is sneaking in. You have to know where to set up your defenses and what signs to watch out for. Only then can you be vigilant enough to make sure your stuff stays where it belongs in your life—serving you and not the other way around.

Below is my best advice and warnings on how to do just that.

Gifts from family

One of the biggest sources of stuff, especially as a parent, is gifts from family members. Many grandparents love to dote on their kids and grandkids, and while the intentions are wonderful, the stuff can really add up. I’ve seen it first hand. We’ve had to have some kindly, but intentional conversations about striking the right balance between showing love in this way, and trying to keep our home from being overrun with stuff.

Items left over from hobbies

It’s very natural to take an interest in something, buy a few items to get you going, but then realize that hobby wasn’t for you. Or, you may continue with the hobby, but your interests in it change. One year you’re into running, but the next it’s weightlifting. The trouble is, we keep all the old stuff under the assumption we might come back to it someday. In reality, you’ll probably just buy the latest thing if you come back.

Things that cost too much to toss

Another psychological trap that I’ve fallen into many times in the past is keeping something simply because I spent a lot of money on it, or I feel bad about throwing it out. That treadmill you bought, but then never use? You’d probably be better off selling it now while you can still get some of your money back and free up some space for whatever else you want to do with your life.

Easier to keep than resell

In a similar vein to the last item, sometimes we keep stuff because it’s easier than selling it. Perhaps you think to yourself that you’ll list it on Facebook Marketplace eventually, but right now you don’t have the time. Let me offer some advice— if you don’t have the time now, that likely won’t change. If you can get around to selling the item within a week, just store it somewhere out of sight so that it’s not cluttering your life.

Trying something before you discard

Here’s a bad habit that my wife graciously pointed out to me. I had the tendency to set aside items that I wasn’t sure I needed, but thought I might use in the future. Or, I would tell myself something like this: I’m going to start using this again for six months so I don’t have to throw it away. Of course, this is a slippery slope, and you end up putting off the decision on what to do with your stuff rather than actually using it.

Things people leave at your house

Back when my wife and I did a lot of hosting, we would occasionally have guests leave stuff at our house. With the intent of getting the items back to them soon, we ended up setting them aside in an out-of-the-way place. One of my weaknesses is that I’m not great at following up on these items, and eventually I forget about them altogether. With some categories of items, this could quickly become an unintentional source of clutter.

Items you are emotionally attached to

Have you ever kept an item simply because it was gifted to you, and you feel bad getting rid of it? Maybe a friend or family member bought you a shirt that doesn’t quite fit, or a book that’s not the kind you like to read. In these instances, keeping the item doesn’t really help anyone, it just adds clutter to your life. If you can, try to re-gift the item or pass it along to someone else who can get better use out of it.

Items you save, just in case

One of the biggest reasons my stuff accumulates is that I think I might need an item again someday. This causes me to store it away for the distant future, just in case I ever need it again. The logical part of my brain knows that it’s not hard to replace most items, especially common use items that can be picked up inexpensively. However, the emotional part of my brain doesn’t want to go to that bother, and so I end up holding onto more than I should.

Books you intend to read

My wife and I love books, but that love sometimes translates into buying more than we currently need. It’s always easy to rationalize this by saying you’ll eventually get around to it. The problem is, most people (including us) have far more books that we want to read than time. Even if your good intentions are sincere, the next time you get the urge to read something new, you might pick up something fresh. Therefore, try to limit your book-buying to what you’re reasonably sure you’ll read in the next month or two.

Things you don’t know what to do with

My last item is a rather humorous one because it’s so silly in hindsight. I often set items aside, especially small ones like a random bolt or bracket, simply because I don’t know what to do with them. Deep down, I don’t think this is smart, but my intuition tells me that someday I’ll figure out what that item goes with, and then I’ll be glad I hung onto it. Unfortunately, this almost never happens, and the small stuff starts adding up.

Conclusion:

Even though I’ve tried to live more intentionally over the past decade, there are still many areas of my life where the stuff has taken over. This list of ways that stuff has crept into my life is deeply personal, and in many ways I wrote it for myself, to remind me of my own weaknesses. It’s been my experience, though, that the more personal I write, the more it tends to relate to others. I hope you found it helpful, and see areas in your own life where you can shore up your defenses.