I’ve always been a “maintenance” person.
Regular decluttering is a habit for me as I know I must stay on top of it or things will quickly get out of control around our house.
Sometimes it can feel a little wasteful — donating, trashing, and recycling things so regularly; but I don’t have enough physical space, mental capacity, or energy to deal with so much extra stuff.
If you’ve ever felt wasteful after decluttering, I think you’ll relate to this Reader Question.
READER QUESTION:
Hi Andrea! I love your blog. It has inspired me to make many changes to simplify my life, so thank you!
There is one thing I struggle with that I’m hoping you can help me solve… I find that I hold on to things so I don’t waste them.
For example, I have Windex spray and other cleaning products that I rarely use. It is still good, but I don’t want just to throw it away. I don’t know where to donate opened things like that though, and it feels ridiculously wasteful just to throw them away to create room.
I find the same in some food things. I might buy something for a new recipe and then find out we don’t like that recipe, and I am stuck with open food that I won’t use.
And what about personal items I buy with good intentions, but then never end up using or loving?
I would love any tips you have.
Can you relate?
I have often struggled with these same issues — specifically cleaning products, food items, and personal hygiene products.
I don’t have a perfect system by any means, but here’s how I deal with those 3 categories.
Cleaning Products:
Over the past 15 years, I have drastically scaled back on the number of store-bought cleaning products I use.
I’m to the point where I make the majority of my own cleaners — which is really nice for our budget, for storage space, and for our health too!
I do keep toilet bowl cleaner and sanitizing wipes in each bathroom, but the rest of the cleaning supplies are now in our half bath… and I just make more whenever we run out.
We have a thrift store by us that took my unneeded cleaning products (even if they were opened and only partially full) to clean their own facilities.
This was an easy solution for me when I decluttered my extra cleaning products… and it might be an option for you too.
My suggestions:
- Ask a local donation center, school, or church if they could use your unneeded cleaning products.
- Give them to friends/family (only if they would actually use them.)
- Use them up around your own home ASAP and don’t buy more.
- Trash products you can’t donate and don’t want… and enjoy the extra space!
Moving forward: be conscious about what cleaning supplies you purchase and only buy a little of something until you’re sure you love it.
RELATED READING: The Ultimate List of Cleaning Products I Use.
Food / Ingredients:
As I’ve mentioned many times before, I hate wasting food.
However, I also hate wasting prime real estate in my kitchen on items I don’t need, use, or even want.
So how do I keep my kitchen fairly organized without wasting food?
For starters, I almost never buy an ingredient just for one recipe — I’ll always find a close substitute in my kitchen (Google is a great help for this!)
If I do buy a special ingredient, I intentionally search for other recipes that use the same ingredient.
If we like the recipe but can’t use the extra ingredients before their “best by” date, I throw them in the freezer for later. (You can truly freeze almost anything!)
If we don’t like the new recipe but I feel others might, I’ll make a large batch to take to a potluck or group party. I’ve done this a couple of times and have even been asked for the recipe — ha!!
Unopened and non-expired foods can be donated to food banks — but you do really need to pay close attention to the expiration date, otherwise the foodbank will have the extra work of dumping your expired foods.
I suppose food ends up becoming a case-by-case basis for me. On one hand, if it’s just one small spice jar, I will probably hang onto it for a while as it doesn’t take up much space and spices can be pricey.
However, if it’s a larger item taking up more space, I’d lean towards tossing it… and then make a mental note not to buy it again!
My suggestions:
- Look up recipes to intentionally use these ingredients.
- Freeze extra ingredients for later (in labeled containers).
- Bring large batches of recipes to parties or potlucks.
- Give ingredients (or full meals) to friends/family (only if they would actually use them.)
- Give unopened, non-expired foods to a local food bank.
- Trash opened foods you and/or your friends will not want… and enjoy the extra space!
Moving forward: stop and consider future food/ingredient purchases and don’t buy items you will only use for one recipe. There are usually similar substitutes you can use instead (maybe from your own pantry!)
Personal Hygiene Items:
The number of free personal hygiene items I’ve gotten over the years is astonishing — in fact, there were many times I got PAID to “buy” toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, lotion, makeup, etc.
In my younger days, I loved playing the “drugstore game”, until I realized how much space all those items took up in my home.
I donated the majority of those freebies to a Basket Ministries program at our church, and now I no longer buy items we don’t need (unless it’s to donate them again!)
Our family now prefers certain brands, and we are willing to pay a bit more for those brands.
So I’ve simply decided that unless it’s an item someone in our own family uses regularly, I won’t bring it home — even if it’s free.
RELATED READING: Our favorite all-natural beauty products.
My suggestions:
- Donate unopened items to a local homeless shelter or donation center.
- Create a “guest basket” with a FEW of your extra items.
- Combine like items and recycle all those extra bottles and containers.
- Give products you don’t personally love to friends/family (only if they would actually use them.)
- Trash opened containers of products you know you won’t use again… and enjoy all the extra space!
Moving forward: stop buying brands and products your family doesn’t use and love. Consider spending more for higher quality products as you’ll often need to use less. And don’t feel the pressure to “stock up” — these items regularly go on sale about every 3 months, so you don’t need more than a few months’ supply!
I know my system isn’t perfect and won’t work 100% of the time, but it feels like I’ve found a decent balance — at least for now.
I don’t hoard massive stockpiles of stuff in my basement, I don’t waste time, energy, and money buying things I don’t need or won’t use, and we don’t waste all that much of anything anymore!
In many ways, it all comes back to what’s most important for YOU and this time in your life.
What feels like the best “balance” for you?
Do you want more breathing room in your home? Or do you want the satisfaction of knowing you didn’t waste anything?
Are you super excited to switch over to homemade cleaning supplies, organic foods, or a specific brand of personal care products? If so, it might be worth purging everything you currently have (even if it’s a bit wasteful) just so you get that feeling of starting fresh.
Maybe you’re in a season where you are short on cash and have plenty of storage space — so you stockpile whenever things go on sale. Or maybe you’re in a season when space is tight and it’s worth it for you to spend a little extra so you don’t need to store anything more than what you’re actually using.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all “right” answer on this…
I encourage you to find YOUR happy medium — a place where you are not needlessly wasteful, but also not letting your home become overrun with things you don’t need or use.
Remember, everything has a cost — whether it’s money, time, energy, or your mental bandwidth, only you can determine if the “cost” of something is more than you are willing to “pay”.
The way I look at it… if you end up being slightly wasteful every now and then, you can consider it a good learning experience and try not to let it happen again!
How do you handle these situations?
Beth Nesseth says
I loved reading your story in the SPARK!
Beth
Andrea says
yay — thanks for letting me know you saw the story! Go Calvin 🙂
Catherine says
I agree with the comments on giving Facebook groups (Buy Nothing (your region), Everything Free (your region), Freecycle.) I’ve seen people eagerly accept opened cosmetics, expired but still safe food, and more. And when you post you can say first come, first served or that it needs to be picked up by tonight or whatever, and usually people are able to make it happen.
MOlson says
Where I live in Minnesota, we have a Household Hazardous Waste Facility (EPA) offered to residents at no charge. I have taken old cleaning products, hygiene products (including nail polish), things like paint and outdoor/garage products (old oil). They dispose of it for you in (hopefully) a humane and earth friendly way. It is amazing how many people DO NOT know about this type of service. The only reason I do is because I worked for the County.
Also we have places we can drop prescription drugs safely (this is at our Jail). Sometimes they have “take back RX” events in our community. I will do a clean out of our cupboard every other year and dispose of our old prescriptions safely.
Mary says
At our Hazardous waste facility, they give away partial cans of paint. Often people who can’t afford full price paint take multiple cans and blend them to use. Like white and bright pink to make a paler pink. I think that is awesome.
Andrea says
on wow — this is good to know. And what a great idea!
Mary in Maryland says
Freecycle and Buy Nothing groups have been great for moving on cleaning products, food, and hygiene items. No need to trash almost anything.
Nancy says
We just bought a house from a couple that left so so many bottles of cleaning products. (and the house was so dirty?!) This is very random but we have a RV. Every time we use it, I dump a 1/2 bottle of whatever in each of the tanks. There’s a gray and black.
Our RV tanks are so much more pleasant to deal with, I’ve decided to keep this up when we finally run out. This is a lot less expensive and better than the fancy enzymes etc they sell.
Andrea says
oh wow — that’s ironic that the house was dirty but full of cleaning products! Glad you found a way to put them to good use and save yourself some money in the process!
Margaret says
Looked through the comments and found I made one last time…
A few years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and had to go limited carb. My dietitian helped me prioritize the carbs I really value (my friend Rachel’s baguettes, Weetabix, occasional potatoes, homebakes), which left me with bulk purchases of rice, pasta, and steel cut oats to re-home.
The food pantry couldn’t take it, because it was unlabeled, but I was able to place it all with a couple of texts.
And, BTW, with only a couple of exceptions, infant formula being one, food does not really “expire”. Those dates are purely arbitrary decisions by manufacturers, and are a major cause of food waste. If it smells okay, you can eat it. Trouble is, you can’t donate it.
I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Andrea says
Thanks for sharing Margaret — and I agree about food expiration dates. The vast majority of all canned/boxed foods really doesn’t “expire” but I know that foodbanks will not take expired food (they will throw it out) so I wanted to mention that.
MARGARET says
Yes, I understand. I’m just frustrated that hungry people can’t get access to perfectly good food
I wish there were something we could do about it.
Molly says
Thank you for this post! I love to get rid of things we don’t use, whether it is donation centers or a local buy nothing group or sometimes even the garbage. You mentioned you have really downsized your cleaning products. I’d love to see an updated post on what you buy and make and what you use them for. Thanks!
Andrea says
Hi Molly, I actually downsized my cleaning products over 10 years ago (and then again about 5 years ago). I pretty much use vinegar spray, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, Dr. Bronners, microfiber cloths, toilet bowl cleaner, and a few Lysol wipes for really bad messes.
Here’s a link to a really old post where I shared my first round of decluttering.
And here’s a link to a more recent post where I share all the products I do use.
Ann says
Another option for these is to check if you have a local “Buy Nothing” group or a “free site” or a “Families helping Families” group on facebook and offer your items there. Many times what you decide you don’t prefer to use/eat will be someone else’s favorite and they will be happy to take a half bottle of window cleaner or an opened box of crackers.
Rhonda says
I suggest the same, although I’m guessing it’s easier to do if you live in a small community where you know people…or where you feel comfortable leaving things out for porch pickup. We have a Buy and Sell page on Facebook in our small town. I’ve posted free items on there. Sometimes it’s even a larger item, and it saves me the hassle of getting it to a donation center when someone is willing to pick it up from me – and I know they can use it!
Karen says
I *LOVE* our Buy Nothing group! I think they are the best because they are neighbourhood-specific, so even if you live in a large city the group will be just for your own neighbourhood. I have given away SO many things that had been lurking in closets, etc. for years that other people were ecstatic to receive. And I have been gifted amazing things, everything from large pieces of furniture to clothes to an essential oil diffuser. People regularly offer food items, personal care stuff and cleaners that they have tried and don’t care for. I’ve even done a lot of my “Christmas shopping” on my Buy Nothing group 🙂
Andrea says
that’s great! I feel like my area doesn’t have a great group but that’s exciting you have been able to utilize your group so well!
Andrea says
Great suggestions, Ann!
Thanks!!
Tina says
I give to local non profit groups. There are two food pantries near us. When we had toothpaste we couldn’t use, soap in a four pack with 3 bars left, and laundry detergent that made us itch, it was given to the food pantry. We don’t need 5000 staples or 100 envelopes. We can share with others. They share with us. Or just pass them on.
Christine A Macdonnell says
Andrea- another solution to the commercial cleaners is to remember those products are possibly 99% water so you shouldn’t worry about it too much. A way to get rid of them is to pour then into unused cat litter and dispose in your regular trash. It’s not the best solution. That would be to stop buying them because they all pretty much do the same thing. Using vinegar, real soap, distilled water, baking soda, and Bar Keepers Friend, are all you need. Happy purging!
Andrea says
Good suggestions. Thanks Christine!
Avia says
I just figure it’s being wasted whether it’s in my house or in the garbage.
Andrea says
exactly!
Mary in Maryland says
I offer ingredients that we’ll never use up to friends. I also pioneered rehoming food on our local freecycle group. And someone brings food into church and leaves it in the fridge. I often take that to the Refugee Center where students play bingo to win vegetables.
Karla says
I have no problem getting rid of stuff. However, I have a close friend who has a garage, basement and whole house full of stuff she has no use for! The difference is she spends a lot of money on buying things in the first place. She also loves to shop and therefore her kids have every new toys, way more clothes than they could ever wear etc. So when she has spent $80 on a sweater for her kid, or $45 on the brand new special edition Barbie, she has a lot of trouble just giving those things away or even selling them for cheap. She feels that they still have a lot of value left. Therefore, her entire house and life is full of stuff that she can’t seem to get rid of. I on the other hand buy cheap and used on items that I know aren’t going to stick around long. (Kids clothes, toys etc.) Then when I want to get rid of those items, I have no problem just giving them away. Just wanted to share my experience with this topic.
Andrea says
this is SUCH a good point Karla! Yes, we get almost everything CHEAP so it’s no big deal to purge it when we don’t want to any longer. Thanks for sharing!
Debbie says
I use Freecycle or post on my FB garage sale pages to get rid of items that are still useful, but not necessarily “donate-able”. I usually have them do porch pickup and they are taken pretty quick. Sometimes you do get flaky people who respond they want the item, but never show up to pick it up, so that’s a pain. But I’ve been able to re-home a lot of items that way so they don’t get tossed in the dump or lost in the donation piles. You almost always can find someone who wants it!
We had a broken king-sized bedframe & headboard that could probably be fixed by someone handy with wood. My husband wanted me to throw it out, but said I would try to see if someone would take it first before sending it to the landfill. I posted it on Freecycle and someone actually came to take it!
Andrea says
well I guess the saying is true “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!”
Rhonda says
I have started to purge little cheap plastic toys (such as thing you might get a fast food, or “prizes” at schools or events). If my kids play with them a few weeks and then never look at them again, I periodically toss in the trash. It does feel wasteful, but I am not sure what to do with that stuff. I don’t think even Goodwill wants it. Maybe there is some creative recycling company like Terracycle that takes those items in certain geographical areas, but I don’t know of options in rural areas. Ugh.
Nancy says
It does help with guilt if I can find someone who wants my free stuff. My church uses donated small toys as bingo prizes at an after-school program. I have given things away online and at garage sales, and make use of a free exchange table at my workplace. On my list presently is sorting through linens to see what can be donated and what needs to go. I hear that animal shelters take old bedding, but the ones near me don’t list it as a needed item. Maybe worth a phone call, but that requires time and energy. Andrea’s right, it’s best to be really thoughtful about what comes into our space in the first place.
Debbie says
Some of our neighbors who volunteer at local animal shelters regularly post they need old bedding for the animals to sleep on. Try asking them even if it isn’t posted as need.
Andrea says
yes, those junky toys are the worst! they are small so you think “whatever, it’s no big deal” but then you realize you have 40 of them and they are taking over your home!
I’d just trash them and try not to feel guilty!
Becky says
If they’re in good shape, teachers at an elementary or preschool might like them for a “prize box” for teamwork, behavior, whatever.
Andrea says
Good idea!
Rhonda says
It’s funny…I am on our local school board, and we are trying to get the school away from food or treats as rewards, in order to promote wellness. Well then, what do you replace it with? Prizes. Stuff. At least food is consumable! In my head, I go back and forth on this one.
Rhonda says
Good suggestions…thanks!
Bonnie'sMama says
Similar to donating opened cleaning products to a thrift store, I’ve donated them to my church. I’ve also donated opened lotions for the ladies’ restrooms at church. I’ve given hand soaps to a church school.
When you pitch out mistake food, you also throw out the guilt that comes with having wasted your money. Consider it the price you paid for learning your family didn’t like that food. It’s too bad we can’t get that food to the starving children around the world, but you’re not helping anybody at all by keeping it. Throwing it out will help you and your family, though.
Throwing out food still makes me squirm a little, but this perspective does help.
Andrea says
I like this idea — paying for the new knowledge you have that your family doesn’t like a food!
Hilda says
I used to feel guilty about some of the waste, but it taught me to shop better, not let “free” things into my home unless we will use them, and to give things away sooner so they are more useful to someone else. As for where to give things… everything mentioned already, plus I’ve given away open items on Freecycle or in FB freebie groups. There’s always someone interested!
Andrea says
yes! I used to stock up on all the freebies, but now I pass on them unless we will actually use them SOON
Lori Martin says
I have kept toiletry items that I fIgured I would eventually use. Turns out that lotion separates and toothpaste gets hard. Now I feel no guilt about passing things on or letting go.
Andrea says
yup, toiletries definitely go bad. We had deodorant go rancid on us (we found a “lost” stick in the back of a cabinet this summer) that was nasty!
Margaret says
I can often “place” stuff at work. At times we have had an exchange table in the service hallway. Quite often I just ask people–either at work or at church–if they can use an item before I donate or trash it; I just rehomed a mini food processor I got as a freebie and never used. When I realized I was finally through menopause (yahoo) i disposed of all the remaining product either by asking young co-workers if they could use it or just putting it in the restrooms at work with a “free to a good home” sign. Was able to donate some unused heartworm medication to a pet rescue run by one of my dog club members. I have given open but unused OTC meds to co-workers.
All these items were small, which made them easy to deliver, but expensive enough to make it worthwhile.
In my area “scrappers” often cruise the night before trash pickup looking for metal. I’ve got rid of things like a metal futon frame that way. The trash would take it, but if someone will make a couple of dollars on it, and–bonus–keep it out of the landfill I’m all for it.
I’ve also been on the receiving end. Got a bunch of scrubs, after I lost weight, from co-workers who had gained weight, and a large bottle of Tide Free and Clear from a friend who found out too late that it wouldn’t work in her HE machine.
But the best answer is not to let crap in the door in the first place.
Andrea says
haha — yes! Just don’t let it in to begin with!
Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions!
Meghan says
Yes – I used to have so much guilt about throwing items out that I would feel anxiety about purging. I think reading your blog has normalized purging for me, so I actually enjoy getting rid of things now. We live on a fairly busy road, and I when I feel like someone could want my items I put them at the end of the driveway. Even if it takes a few days, everything always gets taken. However, then I feel bad contributing to someone else’s clutter/ junk problem! We live in the country in a very mixed socioeconomic area. In a nice neighborhood, I doubt anyone would take this junk.
Andrea says
haha — yay! Glad I’m helping you to purge more!!!
Kate says
I’ll donate something if I have the opportunity, but otherwise I just toss things. I look at it this way- storing something I know I’m not actually going to use is not any less wasteful than throwing it out. It’s not the throwing something away that’s wasteful , it’s the not using it. Keeping it and not using it just wastes the space as well as the item. It takes some being honest with yourself though- because as long as you keep an item you can convince yourself that you might of waste it, but how often is that actually the truth. if you aren’t willing to use something now then you aren’t going to use it in the future- so it’s already wasted you might as well get rid of it.
I also find that too much clutter from unwanted, “wasted” items can lead to inadvertently wasting other things. It’s easy for excess clutter to make it harder to see and know what you have. I find that when my house is filled with only things we actually use, it’s so much easier to keep track of things, take care of things, and we waste leas in general.
Ann says
Amen to this! I agree 100%! Throwing it away does not make it wasteful. Keeping it & NOT using is wasteful PLUS it takes up valuable space & clutters our house & our ability to find NEEDED items!
Andrea says
I agree with this too — just get it OUT OF MY HOUSE ASAP!!!
And yes, by keeping things that turn into clutter, it’s easier to lose other things we actually need and want.
Casey says
I used to feel the same way–I’m a perpetual purger myself, and we are only a family of 3! Here are some of the things I do:
-Offer it up for free on my local Facebook garage sale page. I’ve never had someone not take something. That includes everything from half used bottles of washer fluid, expired canned goods, and half used paint cans of random colors. There is also the
-Use the Buy Nothing Project website to find a group near you and post your things on there! :https://buynothingproject.org/find-a-group/comment-page-1/
-When I lived in the city (harder to do in the country), you can put it on the curb with a “for free” sign.
-If you have a friend having a garage sale, ask if you can place boxes of “Free” items near the cash checkout table. I’ve had boxes of half used shampoo, cleaning products, etc. be gone in minutes.
I’m much most careful of what I purchase and what comes into my home at this point, so I rarely have to do these things anymore–but they certainly helped while I was beginning to purge.
Stephanie says
Great ideas! I’ve definitely found the more I have purged/minimalized over the years, the more mindful and, therefore, less wasteful I’ve become.
Andrea says
Yeah, after purging a lot, it’s easier to resist buying more because I don’t want to clutter up our house again!
Katherine says
Yes to all of this! We have a “Buy Nothing” group on fb and that is a wonderful way to pass on things that are in good shape but don’t work for your family. This morning I am giving away a money tree plant that I am tired to fiddling with and a weather channel thingy that lets my kids know how to dress for the weather today. I specify “porch pickup by the weekend” and someone swings by and put that item to good use! I’m a fan.
Andrea says
cool — this sounds fantastic!
and what… you don’t want a money tree!?! 🙂
Andrea says
Thanks for sharing this link Casey — I’ve never heard of that group before! So cool!
Also, the Free boxes at garage sales are the best!
Jas says
Craigslist also has a “free” section. I always post things on there before throwing them out and they always get taken. Even if you post something that is broken (and are honest about what’s wrong with it), someone else might be able to fix it or find another use for it, you never know. It feels less wasteful than tossing right away.
Andrea says
oh yes, good to note! I will say that I personally don’t love using the free section of Craigslist because I get SOOOOO many no-shows and so many emails. If i use it, I just put our address and remove my contact information so no one can contact me! I then remove the add when the free items are gone.
Sue says
A big huge second to the “Buy Nothing” group. It has been so good for us to purge while benefiting someone else. And if you need something, you can also ask (I got a queen size bed frame and a comforter for my daughter when she got her own place). It’s also very community building – truly a win-win-win for all involved! It requires only the time to take a photo and share it to the group with a brief description.