Signs Your Home Has More Than You Need

Has your home quietly slipped from a place of comfort and rest to one of frustration? If so, there’s a good chance you’re suffering from excess. In a consumerist economy where the default is to keep on buying and upgrading, there’s no surprise it happens to a lot of us.

My wife and I have 6 lovely kids and know how quickly things can get out of hand when you put off dealing with the clutter. We decided long ago to make part of the solution, so with everyone on board, it’s been a manageable situation.

The thing I want to get across to all of you is that your home doesn’t have to be a source of discontent. You can take control of your stuff and create the sort of places you want to be in. In fact, the final point of this article is something I’ve been experimenting with recently that has brought me a lot of daily joy— maybe it’ll work for you too.

You have clothes that you never wear

If you have clothes in your closet or drawer that you haven’t worn in over a year, you might have more clothes than you need. I used to suffer from this until I went on a simplifying spree that resulted in a 70% reduction of my wardrobe. Since then, I’ve only purchased a few quality pieces and enjoy looking nice without having a bunch of options.

You forget you own things

Have you ever re-discovered an item you forgot you had and thought about how useful it would have been or how you should have used it? This is a reminder that our possessions should serve us, not us them. What’s the point of having stuff you can’t find when you need it or don’t remember you have? If this resonates with you, it may be time to cut back.

You have possessions in the wrong places

Once you get past a certain point, your stuff might become an organizational problem. This means you need to find a place within your home to store things until they’re needed. If your house is overflowing, you might find it difficult to put your hands on certain items, and so might pick the nearest available spot instead of really putting it away. The cure is to have less stuff and therefore more spots to put things.

Your home is a source of embarrassment

Do you ever feel anxious when unexpected company drops by the house? Is there physical clutter on your floors or countertops that has been there for days? Well, you’re not alone. My wife and I are constantly battling clutter in our home with six children, and we relish the times when we’re winning. That’s because a tidy home reduces our stress and makes our home a more pleasant place to be in.

You have food in your pantry that is no good

Whether you have a large pantry or not, you likely have a few dozen different items at any time. One clue that you may have more food than you need is if you notice that food routinely goes bad before you can consume it. The expiration label on food is there for a reason, and if you’re throwing food out, then that’s just money down the drain.

You have gifts you never use

One common source of clutter in people’s lives is the gifts they hold onto out of a sense of guilt or obligation. I understand this feeling, but one helpful tip I’ve learned is to disassociate the object from your memory of the gift. To me, you can keep the memory while passing on the gift to someone else who will use it more than you— that’s a win-win!

You’re tempted to look for something bigger

A sure sign of excess and the burden it brings is to think that a bigger storage solution (a bigger house, a bigger closet, a bigger garage) will solve your problems. If you’re reading this, you likely live in a prosperous country and already enjoy a home larger than most people on earth. Don’t be so quick to think your needs are different. It’s more likely that you just need to simplify your life.

You look for entertainment in shopping

If you’re bored and your solution is to shop for something you want online, your home likely already has more than it needs. You don’t need more possessions to fill some void in your life. In fact, I would argue that what you’re really hungry for is something that money can’t buy: a life that is meaningful and filled with purpose.

You have items stored in places they shouldn’t be

When your home gets overstuffed with things, it can be tempting to find creative places to store them. But the downside of this approach is that your home no longer supports the primary use categories you want to enjoy it for. For example, you might start to think of your basement as a gigantic storage closet and keep adding stuff down there when it could be a hang-out spot or reading nook.

You have an item you’ll never use but hate to get rid of

Do you find yourself holding onto things you don’t use and then making excuses about why you should keep them? This is a classic sign that your home has more than you need. If you truly needed something, you would use it instead of storing it.

Your closets are packed to the brim

Most homes have plenty of closet space, and assuming you’re using it wisely, there should be no reason they’re completely stuffed full. One tip for storing items is to go vertical! Adding shelving and hanging rods to your closet can keep items off the floor, making it easier to find what you want while keeping it organized.

Final Thoughts

I sincerely hope these points connected with you. If you’re like me, you know it’s possible to have too much of a good thing, but it’s easy to let things slide until they’re too far gone. My goal is to remind you that you can do something about the state of your home by taking small steps toward simplifying your stuff.

If you do that, you’ll find that other areas of your life begin to lighten up as well. You’ll probably have more time and a greater desire to be around other people, which will push you towards more and more meaningful activities. I’ve seen it in my life, and I know it’s possible for you.