Medicare, Social Security, and Insurance Free Yourself of Stuff: Decluttering and Downsizing 4/19/2023 | By Dawn Wotapka Once he retired, Jakob Miller finally had the time and energy to organize his three-bedroom home and start decluttering and downsizing. He headed to the basement, where he emptied boxes and bins of old clothes, toys and knick-knacks. But as he looked around the mountain of clutter, he quickly discovered that thinking he could do everything at once was a mistake. “I was so excited to get started that I didn’t realize how overwhelming the task would be,” recalls Miller, 54, a retired laboratory scientist from Staten Island, New York “I was overwhelmed and exhausted, and I barely made a dent in the clutter.” Experts make decluttering and downsizing seem simple: Keep, trash or donate. You likely won’t be able to do it in a day. But here are some tips on effective decluttering and downsizing: Make a schedule and stick to it. “Whether it’s 10 minutes, 30 minutes a day, or a full day on the weekend, setting aside dedicated time to declutter will help ensure you progress,” says Aaron Traub, owner of My Professional Organizer in Dallas. Start with easy wins. Gather all trash, clean the fridge and pantry and then collect and organize receipts and paperwork, which likely have minimal sentimental value. Take on the odd items. Next, “look for things that are out of place, like piles of books, clothes, shoes, small appliances,” says Diane Quintana, an organizer with Release Repurpose Reorganize in Atlanta. “Can you put these things away? If you can’t put them away, can you make room for them by decluttering where they would go?” Then move on to other smaller areas. Consider tackling individual drawers before moving up to something slightly larger, such as a closet or a spare room, suggests Darcy Speed, who trains other organizers and home stagers online at Ultimate Academy. “There are usually fewer decisions to be made regarding what to keep and what to donate,” she says. Stop collecting more stuff. Tell friends and family members to skip this year’s birthday present, or tell them to gift you with an experience instead. Consider getting outside help. Professional organizers can map out a process and timeline while keeping things moving. Give yourself grace with a “maybe” box. If you’re on the fence about a particular item, set it aside, suggests Danie Smallwood, a decluttering coach in Bethesda, Maryland. The hardest decisions will involve holiday ornaments, scrapbooks, pictures and other items that tear at your heart. Ask yourself the last time you used something. If you haven’t used it in the past year or so and don’t expect you’ll need it soon, it’s probably safe to get rid of it, says Traub, the Dallas organizer. Reach out to your children. Ask them to go through any of the possessions they left behind – and perhaps a few items they might want to make their own. For Jakob Miller in New York, “Decluttering was a challenging but rewarding task. Not only did it make my home more organized and functional, but it also gave me a sense of peace and clarity,” he says. “Just start small, take it one step at a time. And you’ll be amazed at the results.” Dawn Wotapka is a contributing writer at Kiplinger’s Retirement Report. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com. ©2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Read more articles like this on Seniors Guide: More tips for downsizing More articles on decluttering and downsizing Read More Dawn Wotapka