“Are you ready to buy it?” This seemed like an odd response to my daughter’s question about the cost. After saving for quite some time, she was shopping for a new car. I accompanied her to a dealer.
Following a test drive, we went inside to talk details. Knowing the MSRP is just a starting point, she asked about deals or discounts they might offer. That’s when the “Are you ready to buy it?” mantra began. He was not going to give her a price until she committed to buy. Really? What happened to making an informed decision?
When we’re spending tens of thousands of dollars it behooves us to be cautious and wise. Even when shopping at the Dollar Store, where we know the price of everything, we can be caught off guard at the register, if not watching how much we’re putting in the basket.
This is also true of clutter. When we’re not paying attention clutter gets costly. It's important to make informed decisions. Here are five Timely Tips to watch for when it comes to costly clutter.
Timely Tips to identify costly clutter
FINANCIAL
Cluttered desks cause things to disappear, like bills that accrue late fees, checks to cash, etc. Over the years I’ve uncovered hundreds of dollars in cash lost in my clients’ clutter.
Paying to store stuff we can’t fit in our homes. According to SpareFoot.com, self-storage is a 44-billion-dollar industry. Most things devalue once put into storage. Furniture gets ruined, photos decay, pests infiltrate. We think we care about that stuff, but in the end, we’re just paying to postpone getting rid of it.
SPACE
Clutter replaces things of value, like cars left outside while carboard boxes of "things we might need someday," fill the garage.
Kat Brancato says, “Storing unused items in your home costs roughly $10 per square foot… you can calculate your ‘clutter cost’ by dividing your monthly rent or mortgage by the square footage of your home." (Better Homes and Gardens February 2021)
What do you have that’s not earning its keep?
TIME & MONEY
Clutter hides stuff. You look for things you know you have but can’t find.
The average American spends 2.5 days each year looking for lost items and collectively spends $2.7 billion annually in replacement costs. (Pixie Lost and Found Survey)
Kat Brancato points out the irony of keeping things in order to save money, when the buildup ends up costing you more.
STRESS
The most common word I hear in the initial call with clients is “overwhelm.”
Few find their creative genius stimulated by a messy desk. More often clutter promotes stress and avoidance. If you resonate with the latter, clutter costs you peace and productivity.
RELATIONSHIPS
Clutter inhibits inviting family and friends over due to embarrassment and shame.
People decline social events because they feel constrained to remain home and organize, even though their overwhelm prevents them from doing so.
Relationships with spouses and kids are put in jeopardy when tensions rise due to clutter in common areas.
The blame game ensues when items get lost in the clutter.
My daughter and I walked out of that dealership. I encourage you to make an informed decision, take a stand, and choose the benefits of organizing over the cost of clutter.
wise words
Being organized is not about being company-ready 24/7. It’s about being able to find what you need and restore order quickly. – Monika Kristofferson