Eliminate Clutter By Asking... Would I Buy It Again?
By
Staten Island, NY Posted: 8/11/2016 1:00:00 AM
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 also feels like throwing away your original $50 investment. You'd rather keep a big flashlight you will rarely use, than get the feeling you threw away a $50 item.
The key is to keep asking yourself... "Would I buy it again?"
Assume the item was already gone, and ask yourself that one simple question. If your answer is NO, you should immediately get rid of the item. Any item that you would not buy again tomorrow is simply not worth keeping today.
So if you didn't already own that big $50 flashlight, and you know you wouldn't be willing to buy another one, there is simply no reason for you to keep it today.
Keep in mind that if your answer is YES, there are some cases where you may still want to get rid of something, by asking a followup question "Would I pay a lot for it?". If something doesn't cost much to replace, you still may be better off getting rid of it. In the event you actually need it again down the road, at least it won't cost much to replace it.
Joe Crescenzi, Founder
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