Idea of the Day - A new idea each day. Some Don't Suck!

Our Latest Posts About: Clutter

How to Get RID of Personal Clutter

Friday, August 11, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

It's not easy getting rid of personal items.

Many people find it hard getting rid of personal items because they're afraid they'll lose the memories that are attached to them. That's why so many people have closets, garages, and attics full of personal items.

I have to admit, I'm one of those people, but I'm starting to make progress. In the past couple of years, I've thrown out hundreds of plastic tote boxes full of objects that I've been saving since my childhood, simply because they remind me of my past. The root of the problem is the fact that so many of those objects remind me of places I've been, people I've known, and thing's I've done. When you throw objects like that away, you get this feeling inside that you no longer care about the memories they represent, so yo... [More]

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Rent Your Yard For Other People's Garage Sales

Wednesday, August 2, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

The quickest way to get rid of stuff is a yard or garage sale. Unfortunately, a lot of people can't do that.

I love getting rid of stuff, but I've never been able to hold a yard sale, because there aren't many people passing my house on any given day. Meanwhile, houses on the block perpendicular to mine have incredible success whenever they hold a sale because that block gets a ton of traffic.

That's because the success or failure of a good garage or yard sale is based on 3 major factors: location, location, and location. First, you need a yard or garage. Second, your yard or garage need to have enough space for your things and for people to park their car. Third, you've got to have a location that gets a decent amount of traffic, or nobody will see your stuff. That's th... [More]

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Got Clutter? Eliminate Duplicates

Friday, April 7, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

One of the easiest first steps towards eliminating clutter is getting rid of duplicates.

A lot of people who struggle with clutter have one thing in common, they have a lot of duplicate items, which means their first step is to simply eliminate the duplicates.

While it may be hard getting rid of one-of-a-kind items, it's far easier for you to justify getting rid of something you have two... or even more of. For example, I realized I had well over 50 USB charging cables in my home... and perhaps more than that. When you get right down to it, how many do you really need? Even if you want to keep two in each room of your house, you still wouldn't need 50, so I gave away or threw out at least 40 so far, and counting.

My next step was checking out my toolbox, where I have dupl... [More]

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Eliminating Clutter - Stop Creating Spaces

Friday, October 14, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

One of the leading causes of clutter is taking the phrase "A place for every thing and every thing in it's place" way too literally.

As I've said in a few other posts, the first step towards a clutter free life is to stop acquiring new stuff, and one of the best ways to do that is to stop creating spaces to hold and organize your stuff.

Try to think back in time to before your clutter started to become a problem. Chances are, you had fewer places for stuff. You had fewer shelving systems, storage boxes and containers, and you probably felt a bit less stress over where to find your stuff.

There's a pretty common pattern among people who struggle with clutter. As time goes by, they acquire more stuff than they get rid of, then instead of eliminating stuff... they look for b... [More]

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Are You a Collector... or a Hoarder?

Tuesday, September 20, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

There's a subtle difference between collecting and hoarding.

If somebody goes into a store to buy a Star Wars or Star Trek collectible, how can you tell if they are a "Hoarder", or a "Collector"? To me there's a clear distinction between the two, and it has everything to do with what they do with the item once they get home.

To me, a "Collector" is somebody who truly loves and enjoys USING and DISPLAYING their collection, but a "Hoarder", DOES NOT USE OR DISPLAY their collection.

There's a huge difference between the two. A Collector is driven by the pleasure they get whenever they look at or handle the items in their collection, but a Hoarder is driven by the pleasure they get from simply HAVING their items, even if they are tucked away in a box in their attic.

I... [More]

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PREVENT Clutter By Asking: "Where Will it Go?"

Saturday, September 10, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Before you fall in love with the latest gadget, ask yourself: "Where will it go?"

Eliminating clutter isn't easy, especially if you keep acquiring new stuff to replace the stuff you get rid of, so you need to spend just as much effort on making sure you don't add to your mess as you do cleaning it up.

It's like taking one step forward, and two steps back. Your objective is to have LESS stuff, not more, so it's essential to resist the urge to bring in new items unless it's absolutely necessary. In fact, even if you find something new that is actually useful, you still need to ask yourself "Where will it go?", because even a useful item will only add to your clutter if you don't have a place for it.

How Did I Get So Much STUFF?

Friday, August 12, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Before you can get rid of clutter, you need to understand how you got so much stuff in the first place.

This is a followup to some of my earlier posts on the subject of eliminating clutter. Today I'm going to talk about one of the root causes of clutter buildup, the inability to get rid of things, even though they're never used.

The reason people have a hard time getting rid of things is that they would rather HAVE something that they NEVER USE, than NEED something, that they DON'T HAVE.

The idea that you will store something for years, "Just in case you ever need it" is what makes it nearly impossible for them to get rid of stuff. Meanwhile, more often than not, these items not only sit around unused for years, they eventually break or become outdated, so that if th... [More]

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Eliminate Clutter By Asking... Would I Buy It Again?

Thursday, August 11, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Can't decide whether to get rid of something? Ask yourself "Would I buy it again?"

The key to eliminating clutter is deciding what to do with your stuff. For many people, that's easier said than done. What do you keep? What do you get rid of?

What makes deciding even more difficult is knowing that you paid good money for a lot of your items, and they're still in great shape. This is known as the "Sunk Cost" condition. Why would you throw away something you already own, especially if it's still in perfectly good condition?

Let's say you have a $50 flashlight. It's a great flashlight, but it's the size of a lunchbox, so you rarely use it. You know you should throw it away, but it cost you $50. To you, that would not only be a waste of a perfectly good flashlight, it... [More]

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Buy Something? Get Rid of Something!

Thursday, July 28, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

The key to eliminating clutter is never letting it get out of hand in the first place.

Eliminate Clutter By Throwing Away Your FAVORITE Shirt

Sunday, July 24, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

If you're having a hard time eliminating clutter, one of the best things you can do is find something you really love, and get rid of it.

One of my most popular posts in the "Pre-Video Blog" days was a little post about getting rid of your favorite shirt, so I decided to re-visit the subject in video form so that YouTube subscribers can see it too.

Although it sounds like a simple idea, for somebody who has a history of collecting clutter, it's actually harder than you think, especially since the clutter is a direct result of having a hard time throwing things away.

Although some people might suggest throwing away a few worthless items as a starting point, it's actually a lot easier if you start with getting rid of things you really love first. The more you love it, the be... [More]

Continue...Eliminate Clutter By Throwing Away Your FAVORITE Shirt...

Gone Shopping?... Get Rid of Something!

Sunday, September 20, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Out with the old...

Let's say, hypothetically, you go to the mall, and buy 3 shirts, 3 pants, and 3 pairs of shoes. What do you do when you get home? If you're like most people you'll simply go into your bedroom and put them all away. Simple enough. But what if you did this every weekend? Sooner or later, your closets and dressers will be a big mess.

Here's a better idea.

If you buy 3 shirts, 3 pants, and 3 pairs of shoes... get rid of 3 shirts, 3 pants, and 3 pairs of shoes.

I have to admit it, this is one of those "Do as I say... not as I do" ideas because I've been struggling with this one for a while. I have a hard time getting rid of things, but I have deep respect for people with the discipline to do it.

I can't tell you how often I've struggled with... [More]

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Throw Away Your FAVORITE Shirt! ...It might change your life.

Friday, September 19, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you have a favorite shirt you've been wearing for years?

I'm talking about a shirt that uniquely defines you and your mood. Perhaps it was the shirt you got at your first Bruce Springsteen concert, or maybe it's just your "Lucky" Ralph Lauren shirt that you wore on your first date.

No matter what it is that makes that shirt special...

THROW IT OUT! - Now, how do you feel?

For some people, especially somebody with hoarding tendencies, you may feel a bit strange. You may even feel like you somehow betrayed the shirt. Relax. The shirt is just fine.

Next week... ask yourself: "How do you feel?"

Guess what? You won't even miss it.. Congratulations. You just realized how many other things you can do without.

Get started. Your attic and garage are... [More]

Continue...Throw Away Your FAVORITE Shirt! ...It might change your life....

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* Note: The ideas on "Idea of the Day" were posted without any formal research into existing inventions.

In some cases, patents may already exist for these ideas, in other cases, there may not be any existing patents and you are free to develop and explore the viability of developing and patenting the ideas.

The authors make no claim that any of the ideas are safe, practical, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for the results of trying, developing, patenting or using any of the ideas on this site.

For some people, our ideas are just an interesting read, but our goal is to encourage you to take action. If you see an idea that you like, do something with it... Take action.

- Joe

Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.