Ten Tips for Clutter-Free Shopping
(Even at Flea Markets and Yard Sales)
by Aby Garvey
I’m willing to bet, since you’re reading this newsletter, that creating and maintaining an organized home is tops on your priority list. Perhaps you’ve been participating in some of my online workshops and you’re well on your way to creating – and maintaining – a clutter-free and organized home, or maybe you’re just starting out on your organizing journey. Either way, if your goal is to live in an organized and clutter-free home, it’s important to recognize that one of the best ways to control clutter is to keep it out of your home in the first place. And one of the best ways to do that is by becoming a clutter-free shopper – or doing what I call shopping with intention.
Now, shopping with intention is all well and good, and easy, when you’re shopping for groceries or other commonplace items. But when you’re shopping at flea markets and other venues that sell one-of-a-kind things, remaining objective and making smart purchase decisions can be quite a bit trickier. For this type of shopping, you need a simple plan of attack that will help you distinguish the shopping treasures from tomorrow’s would-be trash. Here are ten tips to get you started.
Get Prepared!
Before heading out on your first shopping expedition, use these first few tips to get yourself ready.
Tip 1: Make a List
The first step to avoiding regrettable purchases (and the clutter that follows) is to make a list of things you want and need for your home. Keep your creative options open by making a list that’s based on an item’s intended purpose, instead of searching for an exact item. This gives you the opportunity to use things you find in an unexpected ways. As one workshop participant shared, “I went looking for ‘something’ that could be used to collect papers before I can act on them and ended up with a leaf-shaped copper tray. That was something I never would have thought of, but the use was something I had already planned.”
Tip 2: Take Measurements
There’s a saying in carpentry that goes “measure twice, cut once.” For your treasure hunting expeditions, use the phrase “measure twice, buy once.” In other words, make sure the items you purchase will fit in your home, by taking accurate measurements of your spaces ahead of time.
Tip 3: Set a Budget
First, set an overall budget and then, spread it among the items on your list. Consider allocating a portion of your budget for impulse purchases or unexpected must-have finds. By setting a budget, you’ll be sure to have cash in your pocket when you find the perfect piece to accommodate an item on your “need” list, plus you create a bit of wiggle room for unexpected treasures, which means you’ll still retain the fun of treasure hunting. Also, your budget will help you keep impulse purchases to a minimum, which may help you pass by items that would ultimately have become clutter.
Tip 4: Create a Shopping Kit
Put together a little shopping kit filled with the following items, to take with you while you shop:
Small tape measure (to measure items before buying)
Paint and fabric swatches (to make sure an item you find will work well with items you already own)
Your shopping list (to help you stay focused)
Go Shop!
With your plan in place, you’re halfway there. Now it’s time to shop and put your plan to the test. While you’re out shopping, ask yourself the following questions to help you bring home the true treasures, while leaving behind tomorrow’s would-be trash.
Questions to Ask While Shopping
Tip 5: Ask, Do I LOVE It?
Think about an item in your home that you absolutely love. Got it? Okay, now think back to where you were when you spotted this item while shopping. How did you feel? What did you do? When I find something truly special I gasp a little bit and my heart beats a bit faster. I smile and pick up the item as if to claim it as my own. And if I’m shopping with someone else, I immediately show the item to her so she can share in my joy.
Now, this may sound a bit like I’m describing what happens when you find an item on sale…but the response I’m describing here is one I have before I even know what an item costs. It is the item itself that has captured my affection, not the price tag wrapped around its neck. The important thing while shopping is to tune into your true feelings about the items by remembering what you do when you truly love an item. For me, when I rationalize a purchase is when I get in trouble and create tomorrow’s clutter. But when I truly love an item at first sight—this feeling lasts for years.
Tip 6: Ask, Is This in My Budget?
Now it’s time to get rational and check your handy-dandy shopping list. Ask yourself if the item is in your budget and if not (and you truly love it), see if there’s a way to apportion your budget differently to make this item yours. If it’s just too far out of your budget, let it go.
Tip 7: Make Sure It’s a Good Fit.
When you come across an item you want to seriously consider, picture where and how you would use it. Then, make sure you have space for it in your home. If the item is on your list (or will fulfill a purpose on your list), check your measurements to make sure the item will work in the space you have in mind. Also, pull out your swatches to make sure it will fit in, or look good, with the other items in your room.
Tip 8: Ask, Am I Willing to Make Space for It?
If you determine a must-have item won’t fit in the space you intended, consider other uses for the item. Could you let go of an item you already own to make room for the treasure in your hand? Using a “one item in, one item out” strategy is a simple way to create space for new items, and keep the flow of new things into your home in sync with the outflow – which keeps clutter away.
Tip 9: Ask, Can I Use It As Is?
If you love shopping at flea markets or yard sales, you may recognize this next scenario. You come across the almost perfect piece that just needs a “quick” coat of paint, or perhaps new fabric for the seat cushion. Even if you love a renovation project, avoid buying too many “projects.” Unfinished projects can easily become clutter, so be aware of how many projects are already on your to-do list before bringing home another project. Ask yourself “Can I use this as it is?” or, “Do I realistically have the time to make it usable?” If the answer is no…pass it by.
Tip 10: Ask, Would it Be easy to Get Rid of This Later if I Find it Doesn’t Work?
I have a friend who buys a lot of furniture and home decor items on craigslist. Before making a purchase, she considers whether or not she could resell the item on craigslist for at least as much as her purchase price. If she thinks it would be easy to sell, then she buys; if not, she passes it by. She often uses items for a period of time, and then when she wants a change she posts some things on craigslist and uses that cash for new items. It’s a fun little hobby and a great way to keep things flowing into and out of your home, without letting clutter build up. If you’re out shopping and you’re on the fence about an item, ask yourself if it would be easy for you to get rid of later, if you find it doesn’t work for you.
With these ten tips in hand, all that’s left to do is head out there and find some treasures. Happy hunting!
