Today, we’ll address the top things to declutter in each room. But, if your home is cluttered, it is probably already affecting your health, your finances, and your relationships. If you are ready to jump right in and get started decluttering, check out my plan here.
The year long thorough declutter series is on video now. You can subscribe via youtube through the video shown in this post.
You can find my Office Declutter Checklist below.
You can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists like the one above to help you declutter every room in your home. You can find that here.
Struggling with the daily housekeeping chores? Check out my ebook on this topic, entitled Make Over Your Homemaking. Use this link to get it at a discounted price.
You may be wondering: How long should I keep certain files such as taxes?
The length of time you should keep certain files, such as tax-related documents, can vary depending on your country’s tax laws and regulations. Here are some general guidelines:
Tax Returns and Supporting Documents: It’s typically recommended to keep copies of your tax returns and supporting documents for at least three to seven years. The IRS in the United States, for example, generally has three years from the due date of your return to audit you, but this extends to six years if they suspect you’ve underreported your income by 25% or more, and there’s no time limit if they believe you’ve committed fraud.
Receipts and Records: Keep supporting documents such as receipts, invoices, bank statements, and any other records that support items on your tax return for the same period as your tax returns. This ensures you have documentation in case of an audit or if you need to file an amended return.
Investment Records: Keep records related to investments, such as purchase and sale confirmations, for at least three to seven years after you’ve sold the investment. This helps in calculating capital gains or losses for tax purposes.
Real Estate Records: Keep records related to the purchase, sale, and improvement of real estate properties for as long as you own the property and for a few years afterward. These records will be helpful for calculating capital gains or losses when you sell the property.
Retirement Plan Records: Keep records related to retirement accounts, such as IRA contributions and withdrawals, for as long as the account is active. Additionally, keep records of any nondeductible contributions made to traditional IRAs indefinitely to avoid double taxation upon withdrawal.
Insurance Policies: Keep insurance policies and records for as long as the policy is active, plus a few years afterward in case you need to refer to them for any reason.
Legal Documents: Keep important legal documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and estate planning documents indefinitely.
Always consult with a tax professional or financial advisor for specific guidance tailored to your individual situation, as the recommended retention periods may vary based on factors such as your tax jurisdiction, the complexity of your finances, and any unique circumstances you may have.
Watch my video below for my favorite tips and ideas from minimalism experts on how and why to create a minimalist home.
You can find my Office Declutter Checklist below.
1.UNUSED COMPUTER EQUIPMENT
2.BOOKS
3.MEDICAL PAPER FILES
4.IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
5.OFFICE SUPPLIES
6.DRIED OUT PENS, MARKERS
7.BROKEN ELECTRONICS
8.POWER CORDS
9.NOTEBOOKS, CALENDARS, PLANNERS
10.TAXES
11.RECEIPTS
12.INSURANCE FILES
13.CAR MAINTENANCE FILES
14.APPLIANCE MANUALS
15.HOME MAINTENANCE AND MORTGAGE FILES
16.KIDS SCHOOL SUPPLIES
17.KIDS SCHOOL PAPERS
18.WORK/BUSINESS PAPERS
19.BILLS AND IMPORTANT RECEIPTS
20.INGOING/OUTGOING TASKS
HOW TO DECLUTTER using my OFFICE DECLUTTER CHECKLIST:
Supplies Needed:
1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid grabbing a laundry basket or plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)
2. sturdy trash bags
3. marker/pen to label boxes
Decluttering Tip: Avoid using storage bins to declutter. Storage bins tend to tell your brain to “store” the items for later. That is just delaying decisions. If you aren’t getting rid of items when you declutter, you are not truly decluttering. This is why I recommend a trash bag, also. A trash bag tells your brain to “trash” the item.
Obviously, recycle if you have that option. The boxes you use should be ones you are willing to part with, so I recommend sturdy cardboard boxes. As to donations, there are many charities that will come pick up your items for you at your home.
I use one in particular where you can book an appointment for pick-up online. This is so convenient, as it saves you the hassle of hauling stuff away yourself. Scheduling that pick-up also motivates you to declutter by a certain date.
As you are clearing away the clutter from your home, I want you to take notice of the common types of clutter you find lying about. Chances are, you have the same type of clutter you find yourself clearing daily.
For example, I have a kitchen countertop that daily becomes a clutter magnet. The types of clutter that appear here might be mail, packages to return to the store, projects that need to be completed, etc. If you will pay attention to the type of clutter you are clearing daily, it will show you what areas of your home need the most organization.
For example, mail piling up on the counter will reveal that you need to develop a “home” for your daily mail. I have a financial binder that I put all of the bills inside as soon as I bring them in the house. Mail that needs to be filed and kept goes into my daily file basket. Papers that need attention go into my daily planner.
How to Declutter:
1. Start by eliminating trash first- use a sturdy trash bag. Obvious trash would be empty bottles and paper clutter.
2. Sort items by category if needed so you can see what you have
3.Get rid of duplicate items, broken items, unwanted office supplies, anything you’ll never use again
4. Box up the donations and trash/recycle the rest
5.Select a charity to donate your items and schedule the pick-up if that is an option
As you declutter the home office, you’ll likely find receipts. Check out my post on how to organize receipts here. I use file folders to do that, but you’ll want to see how I do so.
Need to deep clean? I have lists for you to guide you along.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.
You can get your printable Daily Housekeeping Routine and Deep Cleaning Your House Schedule here. This 15 page printable kit is delivered digitally to your email for you to print and personalize. What Does a Deep Clean Include? It includes a daily schedule, calendar pages, and deep cleaning checklists for every room and area of your home. Below is a sample page of what you’ll get in my printable set designed to help you make a Housekeeping Schedule for Your Home.
Also, to keep up the general housework, you may need to create a daily housekeeping schedule that suits your specific needs. To do so, I have created a helpful series you can read here.
Need to Declutter Every room? I have declutter checklists for every room and every space in your home to guide you along below.
Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can sign up here.
How to Declutter the Guest Room or Your Kid’s Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Laundry Room and Patio checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Coat Closet/Hall Closet/Linen Closet checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Home Office checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Attic checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Garage checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Living Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Kitchen Checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Entry/Foyer/Mudroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Clothing checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bedroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bathroom checklist can be found here.
Need some Inspiration to Declutter? Join us for the Year Long Through Declutter Series by subscribing by email below. To subscribe, just leave me a comment below. Your email will not be published and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Happy Decluttering!
New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:
Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.
Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can sign up here.
Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.
Step 3: How do you remove clutter?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.
Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.
Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.
Check out the most popular posts on deemiddleton.com:
14 Things That Make Your Home Look Cluttered
How to Create a Daily Housekeeping Schedule
How to Clean House When You Are Completely Overwhelmed By Clutter
What is Preventing You From Getting Organized?
Also, check out a great post on decluttering over here from becomingminimalist.com. Joshua Becker has some great tips on decluttering and minimalism.
For further reading, check out the fly lady here. She has some great cleaning and kitchen decluttering ideas plus excellent organization tips to get you started.
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