Shopping Trip Clutter

From Bedlam to Brilliance – Shopping Trip Clutter

How to Avoid Something Else That Can Add to Clutter

When I returned from shopping the other day, I realized how easy it is for clutter to accumulate. I put the bags down in my entrance way and left them there for several hours while I did something else in my house. Later that day, as I was starting to get ready to meet some friends for dinner, I realized the items I bought earlier were never put away. This got me thinking about what happens when we don’t put our purchases away immediately at the time we arrive back to where we are living, when we don’t have homes for what we bought, and how easily it is to get distracted.

I’m talking about everything, including groceries. I do hope that you at least put the perishables away at that moment. Imagine how much money you would waste if the food never made it to the refrigerator or freezer.

If you’re like me, you may even bring your mail in at the same time you bring the things in that you just bought. So now you not only have all the bags filled up, but you also have a ton of paper with which to deal.

I realize there might be times when you need to drop off your packages right away and then have to go do something else immediately. This is life, however, here are five (5) tips that might help you, so your packages/mail aren’t lying around for hours or days. This is the start of clutter, and we all know how clutter can keep growing.

Buy only what you need. That will save time when you are putting things away as you won’t have unnecessary items laying around. Just think of the money you could save by not buying unnecessary items.
Add 5–10 minutes to your shopping trip for unpacking and putting your items away immediately in their designated homes. You’ll be able to find what you need more easily when the time comes.
Establish a home for anything new you purchase. When you buy something else that is similar, it, too, will then have a place to live.
Remember the in-out inventory rule: If you buy something new (like clothes or shoes), try to get rid of something old. Remember, not everything has to be thrown out. You can donate items.
Recycle and/or shred any mail that you don’t need. Anything else can be put in a pile to be handled later if you don’t want to deal with additional paper at that exact time (for example, paying bills or filing).

I decided not to procrastinate with my last trip to the grocery store, so I put the items I just bought away immediately. Frankly, I didn’t feel like looking at all this stuff in my entranceway, in addition to these things being in my way of getting up and down the stairs.

The next time you go shopping, what are you going to do to avoid “Shopping Trip Clutter?”

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