If you’re looking for a simple mindset shift that could totally transform the way you view your stuff and streamline your home and life in the process, let me introduce you to the 80/20 rule!
I’ve long been fascinated with the accuracy of the Pareto Principle (a.k.a. the 80/20 rule) in my own home and life.
For example:
- I wore 20% of my clothing 80% of the time prior to my massive closet downsize.
- I bake and cook 20% of our family favorites 80% of the time.
- I call, text, and email less than 20% of my contacts more than 80% of the time.
- Within my inbox, less than 20% of all emails contain more than 80% of the information I actually need and use each day.
- Our kids play with the same 20% of their toys and games 80% of the time.
Now certainly, these percentages are not mathematical facts (I didn’t take the time to calculate exactly how many toys, items of clothing, and favorite recipes we have and use on a daily basis).
But I know from my own personal home, family, and life that the 80/20 rule portrays the unequal distribution of time, energy, money, etc. spent managing and using our various possessions.
A few more examples:
- I use the exact same spatula every single day for almost all my cast iron cooking… except when I need to use more than one at a time (which is rare).
- I wear the exact same coat everywhere, all Fall, Winter, and Spring… except when I shovel snow or for rare special occasions.
- I wear the exact same earrings every day… except for special occasions or holidays.
- My children gravitate to the same favorite books over and over and over again.
- We congregate with the same neighbors and friends despite virtually endless opportunities to mingle at church, school, and in our community.
- We choose the same 2 or 3 restaurants, even though there are literally hundreds of options within a few miles of our house.
- Only a tiny percentage of people who read my blog ever leave a comment… and the ones who do leave comments, comment on the vast majority of posts I write!
When we stop and think about it, the Pareto 80/20 Principle holds true in almost every single aspect of life — our relationships, homes, clothing, food, businesses, toys, games, books, schedules, and more!
Pretty amazing… huh!?!
What does this mean for our homes and our lives?
It means we most certainly aren’t using everything we have (hello, “what if I need it clutter”).
It means we’re spending valuable time, money, and energy buying, storing, cleaning, and organizing lots and lots of stuff we don’t actually use.
It means… we might very well be able to do without 80% of the stuff in our homes!
But hold on, don’t call for a dumpster just yet…
I don’t think we should hastily discard 80% of our belongings in the name of simple living (or minimalism) — after all, we still use some of it 20% of the time!
However, I DO think our homes and lives could benefit from a little more intentionality as to what we are willing to make space for.
How the 80/20 rule works in my favor:
- Instead of keeping 8 spatulas when I really only use 1, I now keep 3.
- Instead of a closet full of clothing, I donated over half of it last year and have enjoyed wearing my favorites on a regular basis — with a few extra items available for special occasions.
- Instead of becoming an ultra-minimalist-mom and forcing my children to get rid of everything, I simply encourage them to think through what clothing, toys, books, games, and crafts they actually need, want, and use, and consider donating the rest.
- Instead of feeling guilty about all the sentimental items in storage, I make a point to use and display my favorites throughout my house and donate the rest.
- Instead of mindlessly buying whatever looks good to me or whatever great bargain I find, I think through the true costs of the item — Where will I store it? Will I want to clean it a year from now? Is it even something I need?
What can you do to get started?
As I mentioned earlier, there’s no massive rush to declutter every single thing you don’t use on a daily basis — just take your time so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Start with the drawer in your kitchen that doesn’t open well, or maybe the catch-all shelf in your closet or pantry, or even in your purse!
As a general guideline, you can probably get rid of an item if:
- You have multiples… and really only need 2 or 3.
- You don’t remember the last time you used or wore the item.
- You don’t really even like it all that much.
- It’s broken, stained, ripped, or non-functional in some way.
- You find yourself moving this item out of the way to get to a different item you use/wear more often.
- You feel guilty getting rid of it (usually a sign that you’re saving it for all the wrong reasons).
- The item causes mental or physical struggles for you.
- You’d rather make more space for other items you enjoy, use, wear, or simply like more.
Just pick ONE small area in your home to start with… and then pick another, and another.
Before you know it, you’ll have an entire room decluttered using this 80/20 mentality.
As a result, you’ll enjoy more time, energy, money, and space for the things you use most and benefit from most… and you won’t be bogged down trying to clean, organize, and store the things you DON’T use.
Moving forward, I encourage you to continually view your possessions with an 80/20 mindset — recognizing when an item falls into the 80% of things you rarely, if ever, use.
In my experience, it’s so much easier to remove an item from my home when I realize I don’t use it and won’t miss it.
NOTE: if you’re unsure if you’ll miss the item after a few months, my suggestion is to box up all your “maybe” items and put them in the back of the basement or garage. Write a reminder in your planner or set an alarm on your phone for 6 months from now. If you make it that long without digging through your maybe box, I’d strongly encourage you to donate it WITHOUT even looking inside!
Living with an 80/20 mindset is one concept that helps me continually pursue a simpler, more organized, more intentional life.
It’s a wonderful mindset to pass on to our children, an instant reminder of how blessed we are, and a helpful “trigger” to stop consumerism and materialism from taking over our thoughts and lives.
What about you…
Have you noticed that the 80/20 rule applies to areas of your home and life?
Micki says
Always enjoy reading your articles. If we can get more younger readers to follow you, that would be great. I am trying with my grandchildren.
Andrea says
haha — yes Micki! I do tend to have an “older readership”. Most of my readers are significantly older than me — I think it’s because I don’t promote myself on social media where younger moms tend to hang out. Keep going with your grandchildren — maybe they will jump on board too!
Micki says
I remind them. I forwarded your article to them. They are just recent college graduates so they should not have too much. Clothing is something else.
Andrea says
yay — thanks for sending them my articles 🙂
Allyne Fitzgibbons says
This is a great post, now if I could only “just do it”!
Andrea says
hahaha — you are not alone in this Allyne! Getting started is often the hardest part — we know what we need to do and we know why we should do it… but we still need to DO IT!
michelle rogers says
Great post! I needed this and will refer back to it this summer as my husband and I start to get rid of our clutter we’ve collected for over 20 yrs in our home that we raised 3 children in and hosted 6 exchange student. Thanks!
Andrea says
wow — what a full and wonderful life you’ve had so far. It might take a while, but just keep plugging away — little by little each day!
ToniAnn says
Andrea,
I have applied a similar principle to many areas of my home and could use it more. It’s a good idea. This is a good encouragement to keep going at it. The results are worth it. I think my home is getting bigger. Lol. Thanks for the good reminder.
Also thank you for your gracious attitude about not being an ultraminimalist. I still want to have enough for guests and comfortable living.
Sometimes sorting seems overwhelming and I simply get rid of a few things at a time that I know I can part with. Honestly, as time passes I don’t even miss those things I discarded or donated. Then, in a month or so, I go through that area again and do it again. It’s less miserable for me that way, and the results get better and better! If you can purge a lot at one time, go for it! Both ways work.
Andrea says
Isn’t it AMAZING how many times you can go through an area and continue to declutter a few more things (even if you haven’t gotten anything new)!! I think this ALL the time — especially when I’m decluttering my kitchen. Like… “why didn’t I declutter this the last time?” But I need to do it in stages too, so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming!
Thanks for your long-time readership and kind comment.
DONNA MARIE says
My idea is not to bring so much stuff home! I keep out of the stores and it helps me not to have so much clutter or unneeded items.
Andrea says
yes, 100%!!! just don’t shop, don’t buy things (even if they are great deals). You’ll save money, time, and so much space in your home!
Beth Nesseth says
You’re so wise! I apply your recommendations often, but don’t tell you! Thank you! Love the 80/20 rules!
Andrea says
Thanks so much, Beth! I appreciate this a lot!
Jeanine Schmidt says
I love the 80/20 Rule. I actually notice clothes in the closet that I always seem to wear…especially during Covid – LOL. So, I make a better ‘note’ of those I do not wear and determine if I ever really will.
Nikki Walker says
Since I’ve not commented on the blog before, here it is—thank you Andrea for this simple yet very helpful advice. I’m preparing to move again and the last time I moved I actually brought 3 boxes of paper clutter with me, having run out of time to go through them. I still have about 2 boxes’ worth and this is further motivation to not only get rid of those things but finally take the plunge in my clothing closet and bless others with the clothes I used to be able to wear. I can always use the opportunity to build a new capsule wardrobe as I lose weight. Thanks again.
Andrea says
ah yes — don’t torture yourself by hanging onto clothing that’s too small! if you can afford to buy a size that fits better, it will do you so much good mentally and emotionally 🙂
And… thanks for the comment!! LOL!
Elizabeth says
Hi 🙂 We absolutly loved reading through the Little House Books! (I feel like The Long Winter book really helped me keep a good perspective during quarantine 😉
Have you heard of Carolyn Haywood? She wrote some of my favorite books when i was young. I’m reading those to the girls currently- I love all her books, but right now we are reading the Eddie series. They were written in the 40’s i think, but so funny and relatable. I bet your fam would enjoy them.
Also this 80/20 thing is facinating….
Andrea says
Thanks Elizabeth!
I’ll add those books to our (growing)list!
Pascale Forest says
Hi Andrea,
I truly enjoyed reading your blogpost about how you put into practice the Pareto Principle.
Last fall/winter, I experimented with an extremely minimal wardrobe: 2 pairs of pants and 4 tops. I loved it so much that I got rid of all the excess clothing.
This past winter, I stuck with the same 2 pairs of pants, but I narrowed it down to 2 tops. Loved it even more.
I’ve applied this principle to each category in our home. It’s very liberating.
Andrea says
Thanks so much Pascale!
And WOW… only 2 pairs of pants and 2 tops. That’s impressive! I could probably do that for a vacation, but I’m not sure I’d have that much discipline for my everyday life.
Thanks so much for sharing what’s currently working for you — I know it will be an inspiration to others who are trying to simplify!
Pascale Forest says
Thank you, Andrea.
I know it’s not for everyone, but I was inspired by people like Steve Jobs who wear the same clothes every day to eliminate decision fatigue.
Lisa says
Love this. I think this is the post that will finally motivate me to go through MY closet once and for all. I started a new job in June 2019. It is total casual wear; if I want to wear jeans and a T-shirt with tennis shoes, I can. If I want to dress up,fine. However, I still find myself gravitating toward the same pants and shirts over and over! Comfy always wins. I loved the family update vlog …Clara’s song was so cute. I loved when my nieces and nephews were 3 (and a half)!
Andrea says
yes Lisa — you totally need to go through your closet! If you can wear jeans and a t-shirt… is there really any point in keeping dressy items — LOL!
I supposed I do enjoy getting dressed up every once in a while, but I’m def. the jeans + t-shirt girl as often as possible!
Thanks for your kind words (and yes, 3… and a half is such a fun age!)
Sandy says
Letting Go has been my mantra the last 2 years. I take great joy taking bags and boxes for donation on a regular basis. I’ve slowly been going through decades of my parents things and it’s motivated me to tackle my own. No one will want to sort through my stuff! Nor do I want to leave that burden. After my dad passed my mom held onto a lot of his things and when my mom passed 2 years ago it all doubled. Not to mention I didn’t know the stories behind things. I focus on the treasures and letting go!!
Andrea says
I know SO many people who have vowed never to leave their children with as much stuff as their parents left them… it really can take so much time and mental energy to weed through it all. But it sounds like you’re on a roll and have a good system down!
Diane says
I have been doing more and more clearing of things in the past year or 2. As I do laundry or cook or work on crafts, I find myself looking around to see what I am really using. Our local library, school system, Goodwill, and nursing homes have been the beneficiaries of things that we no longer need. As I get older it seems that “things” aren’t as important they used to be.
Andrea says
Good for you — this is totally the way to get through your house too. It’s exactly what I do — just a little at a time as I’m already working in that space. It’s much less overwhelming (at least in my opinion!)
Wendy says
This is so inspiring, Andrea. Blessings.
Janice says
My husband has applied the 80/20 rule in his business all of his life. He says 80% of the people you meet are nice and cooperative; 10% of the people you meet are just having a bad day and are not pleasant to be around; then 10% are just “jerks” all of time.
Andrea says
haha — that’s a good one. Maybe the 80/10/10 principle!
Andrea Gandy says
I love this!! I have always used the 80/20 rule for food. You know, 80% healthy, 20% ice cream/chocolate/cookies 😉
But you have inspired me with they maybe box and donating after 6 months if I haven’t reached for it. The even deeper mentality to donate without looking inside!! Eek! Ha. I love it!
Thank you for your practical organizing sense! I enjoy all your articles, but 80% of the time I never leave a comment 😉
Andrea says
yes, great example with food!
And yes, donate the box — you won’t regret it 🙂
No worries on not leaving comments — I appreciate your readership!
Christina says
This indeed is carried over into the business world as well, in volunteerism, schools, churches, etc. You see the SAME people doing 80% of the work, 80% of the volunteering, ect. It was how I knew certain people in jobs or in schools, and businesses we used, and so on. But, to apply it to our home is a new concept for me. I have long since mainstreamed our home (Thanks to your constant inspiration and tips!) and continue to purge all the time, but KNOW I keep buying too. A vicious cycle for sure! We do make a conscious effort to recycle, reuse, repurpose and buy used before we ever purchase new. Along with weighing the benefits of storing said new item. We have more space in our home than we ever have and enjoy using ‘the 80 percent’ and having room for more if we choose. Great thoughts and ideas, as always! Thanks Andrea
Andrea says
yes yes, that’s an entirely different blog post though (that 20% of the people/volunteers do 80% of the work!) I’m totally in agreement there for sure!
JJ says
This is so so true! Your clothing post inspired me to donate all of my long sleeved shirts except a few and sweaters. I hardly wear long sleeved shirts or sweaters, so this was a huge clutter clearer! I also donated some pie plates. Somehow I had 5. I never make 5 pies at a time, and if I need to I can buy inexpensive disposables. I have noticed by following your organization and decluttering tips I have less busywork to do. So so thankful!
I laughed about the 20% who commented 80% of the time. Guilty! Haha!
Andrea says
haha — i think you get the aware for the most comments of anyone on my blog 🙂
and yes, you probably don’t need 5 pie plates or all those long sleeve shirts! Fun fact, I also got rid of almost all my long sleeve shirts because I really just like wearing short sleeve with a zip-up or sweatshirt if I’m cold!
Donna Harwood says
Yes Nice reminder of this principle. I also like the one that says you should treat space like real estate. Putting things you use or like where you can reach it. Thank you for your column.
Andrea says
yes, keep things you use more often in an easy-to-access location… great advice!
Michelle says
Ohhhhhh yeah. Firstly, I’m a commenter from the 80% … Just so you know we are paying attention! 😉
You’ve made realise that I do this with clothes buying – I REPURCHASE my 20% wardrobe 80% of the time. What is that about?? The other day I bought a green jumper basically identical to the green jumper I was wearing. Different brand, different neckline, same mossy green wool. I once got an online order only to unbundle multiple striped t-shirts, of which I already had plenty. I do this all the time! Thank you for giving me a term for this affliction.
Andrea says
haha — thanks for commenting, even if it’s not on every post! It really is nice to read feedback from readers!
Lenore says
I pack away clothes that do fit me but I have not worn for a while as I find next season I bring them out and wear again. I guess I recycle clothes, that I like but the weather governs what I wear. Mainly like long skirts but find in winter I wear pants more.
Mary says
I love it. Once the kids got back to school, I’ve been purging and organizing every closet, drawer, etc. One thing that’s helping do more is using a consignment store to sell some of my clothes and for my better brands, I’ve been selling them on ebay. It takes a bit to figure out (and it’s hard not to buy stuff too.) It’s kind of fun to see how well they’ll do. If I can’t wear it, it’s good to get some money for it.
Mary
Demaroge says
Andrea ~ I was just talking to my Mom today and told her it is ridiculous that I have clothes in three closets (one is shared and one is very small.) I have a hard time getting rid of things. I do. I admit it. I always think I will need it or wear it ‘someday.’ A lot of things I really do use ‘someday.’ But not nearly as many as I store.
I have an entire professional wardrobe that I do not use right now because I am home now (that is the other closet.) The small closet has formal wear clothes and other ‘fancy’ things in it. I don’t know if I will go back to work or not; so for me, that is a tough decision for me to make. If I do get rid of my professional wardrobe I may end up buying another one in the future.
I am not sure what purpose the closets would have otherwise.
I will be thinking about this. Thanks.
Patti says
I just happened upon your site and think that it is “wonderful”!
I give you a lot of credit doing all this with a baby–Keep up the good work,
Patti
Beulah says
One of the best posts I’ve ever read! 🙂
Lucy Mae's Mom says
Wow, Andrea, this whole post really spoke to me. So much so that I pinned it on Pinterest. I know it has been up for a while, but it’s great new information for me. It gives me a different perspective from which to look at my clothes. At this point I just see a somewhat organized sea of fabric when I look in my closet. Way too many skirts, way too many pairs of pants, and waaaaay too many shirts and blouses. I really need to go through and purge like you say. If I don’t need it, want it, love it or think I look great in it, it needs to go. And the price I paid should not factor into my decision to keep or toss. Maybe I should be thinking about price more when I purchase something! Is this piece or that piece really worth the price?? Hey! The light bulb just went on! Thanks for your site. I have found lots of valuable tips and I’m learning a whole new way to think about “stuff.” And it’s not really worth spending a lot of time thinking about and worrying about. It’s just not that important. Now, if I could just bring myself to start getting rid of it………. 🙂
Andrea says
Thanks… Isn’t it crazy how FEW of our clothes we actually wear!
I just went through my closet again today… It sure feels good to purge!
Becky says
i LOVE this idea..I”m just not sure it’s going to work for me because I have clothes for different occasions because my life is just so varied right now with work and casual going out or casual “I can even go camping in this outfit” type clothes…
The other part for me is that I just moved to MI from FL and we don’t have a real closet or dresser right now, so all our clothes are kind of everywhere. working on getting all that together but it wont be until after we move out of hubby’s parents’ basement. 🙁 I also don’t have nearly enough sweaters and things that fit (i gained a lot of weight from stress before moving that I’m working on losing now) Maybe when I lose some weight and life becomes a little more settled I can really take advantage of this!
Emily says
Love it!! So simple, yet I’m sure it will make a huge impact. I’m so doing this! 🙂 Thanks!
Natalie@OrganizedHabits says
Part of decluttering my closet has to do with the visual clutter. My closet always seems larger when my shoes are lined up or put in boxes and my clothing is grouped together by type (shorts together, pants, skirts…etc). I also like to store away my out of season clothes so I am only looking through what I can wear in the current weather conditions.
Andrea says
Wow Natalie, I couldn’t agree more!
It’s true, everything always “looks” bigger if it’s not filled with clutter!!
Thanks for sharing your tips.
Janelle says
I am in the midst of trying to declutter my closet…I am also in the midst of losing the “baby weight” that I did not finish losing yet! So, some clothes do not fit me yet that I may want to wear again. So, I am going through those clothes, and at least trying to decide if they are still my style or not. It has not been easy for me, but after I emptied all of the clothes from my dresser and shelves in my closet, I have ONLY put things back that fit me now and I wear. Unfortunately, there are a couple of piles that I still have to make some decisions about –
Andrea says
Janelle, that is the best way to do it. Put back only what you use, need, want, and love — and then let the “maybe” items just hangout for awhile until you know for sure what you want to do. Give it a week or two and if you haven’t felt the need to get something from that pile, then you can probably donate it.
I know it’s hard, but won’t all that extra space be worth it???
elizabeth says
I am right there with you. I really loved my pre- baby clothes and hate to part with them yet. But they are taking up quite alot of space and are a constant reminder staring at me that i have not lost the weight yet!
Suzanne says
I tend to group my clothing by outfits for the week, and as a result, these “outliers” start standing out for me, like the great gray straight skirt I bought myself to wear with tights and boots for the winter, that once I tried on what I thought would be the great outfit, hated…it just sits there, staring at my, telling me it will look better on this friend or that. Sometimes passing some of what we think will be our favorites and don’t end up being, on to our friends, brings them the great joy we thought we would experience with an item, and didn’t.