I’m sure you will agree with me that a cluttered life is a real problem. In fact, it’s probably costing you a lot of money. Is it time for you to Downsize and declutter?

This article will provide 7 Frugal Reasons to Downsize and Declutter, as well as some tips and resources to help you get the job done!

The idea of being more of a minimalist to achieve more freedom is pretty attractive.

If you are in the process of working towards financial freedom, then setting a goal to downsize and declutter is a great place to start. All of the stuff that we have hidden away, laying around, or stuffed into the nooks and crannies around the house and garage, can prove to be a huge obstacle to having the kind of financial agility you need to pursue financial independence.

Reason #1 to Downsize and Declutter: It’s probably costing you money.

If you think about it, how much money does it cost to pay for the space required to store all the stuff that you have collected over the years? Are you ready to purge?

In my case, my wife and I have 5 children, and as of the time of this post, the two oldest are married and on their own, and we still have three teenagers in the house.

Maybe you can relate with how much stuff we have gathered in 30 years of marriage with five children. Honestly, we needed a bigger house for a while, but now we have just a few years left before we are empty nesters. If we don’t successfully downsize and declutter now, we are going to regret it later.

Right now, I am paying for much more house than we need, to store way more stuff than we need, and each month that extra money is vanishing. 

How much money is all your stuff costing you to store? Could you downsize and declutter, and then move into a smaller home with a lower monthly payment?

Reason #2 to Downsize and Declutter: It’s probably affecting your weight and health.

Studies show that a cluttered or messy house can contribute to weight gain and health problems. The truth is, your weight, debt, and clutter, may be connected.

In fact, there is a great book on the subject called “Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight: The Six-Week Total-Life Slim Down” by Peter Walsh.

I personally think it’s the discipline factor, and can honestly say that this reason to downsize and declutter rings true in my own life. Getting organized always tends to motivate me to get healthy too, which has its own rewards.

Reason #3 to Downsize and Declutter: It’s probably a growing problem in your life.

When clutter is present, that means it is tolerated and eventually even leads to a weird sort of blindness to it. The piles grow, yet you don’t even notice.

If you do happen to notice, the thought of slaying the clutter dragon can be overwhelming so it is easier to just ignore it, and add to the pile when you have to. But in my case, years go by and the pile gets intimidating.

Honestly, I’m tired of it, and I’m ready to tackle this issue in my life. I need to start taking big steps to downsize and declutter in order to prepare for my near future, as my goal of financial freedom isn’t optional. If I’m going to go after that goal, I have to solve this now and learn to live with less.

Reason #4 to Downsize and Declutter: It’s probably cluttering your mind too.

Not being able to think through this problem and the obvious consequences of a cluttered lifestyle is a significant indication of a cluttered mind. Being able to think clearly about the wise stewardship of the resources I have been trusted with, and the implications this has on my family, financial freedom will only be realistic if I am able to get a handle on this.

I’m going to pick the book: Cluttered Mess to Organized Success Workbook: Declutter and Organize your Home and Life with over 100 Checklists and Worksheets. It’s always such a big help to me when someone else has already come up with a great plan that I can just follow to success.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re not hoarders or anything, but years have gone by and we have stuff that has been gathered and collected all that time. It really is hard to think about how to downsize and declutter in an effective and responsible way.

But, I am determined to get my mind around it, come with a real and workable plan, and implement it.

Reason #5 to Downsize and Declutter: You could probably sell a lot of it for cash online!

The reality is that there is quite a bit of money stashed away in all this clutter. Over the years we have had yard sales, we would move and sell some of the stuff, but it’s amazing how here in America how my family is able to gather stuff faster than we can get rid of it.

Gifts that have been given to us seem to remain longer than their usefulness because of sentimentality. When someone offers us something that we can use right now, it ends up in my garage, and now I have to move stuff around to make room for it.

There is value in all of this stuff that we no longer need and there are plenty of ways for me to sell this stuff.

Decluttr.com is one website where you can sell books, DVDs, video games, game consoles, old cell phones, and more. They will buy it and sell it.

Reason #6 to Downsize and Declutter: It’s probably making you late for work.

This is one of the more obvious reasons to downsize and declutter because the truth is it’s tripping you up and slowing you down.

Without so much stuff in your closet, it’s easier to pick out what outfit you are going to wear, and when you can’t find your keys it really slows you down, right?

Making the effort to downsize and declutter will simplify your morning routine, and probably make you happier too.

Reason #7 to Downsize and Declutter: It’s probably a real problem for you if you are reading this.

Be honest, if you have taken the time to read this article all the way through to this point you this is probably resonating with you. Don’t feel bad, this is part of my journey too.

Almost everyone I know can relate, but I’m going to change it because I have some goals, do you?

No more excuses, I know that the financial freedom in my future will be very worth it, as I downsize and declutter my home, my lifestyle, and my mind.

If a simple and frugal lifestyle can help me reach financial freedom, it sounds pretty beautiful, doesn’t it?

The post 7 Frugal Reasons to Downsize and Declutter appeared first on Active Manhood.