Lose the clutter. Save your money. Find your health.

How can decluttering improve your financial situation and your health? Here’s a high-level view of a down and dirty problem.

Clutter's causes

First, it helps to understand the causes of clutter. Here are a few:

• Over-buying. Many of us love to buy things and don’t recognize when we have too much.
• Past experience. Others grew up in cluttered homes and didn’t experience the “a place for everything” mindset.
• Major life changes. Clutter can sneak in during caregiving responsibilities, a family member’s illness or death, a move — or anything that throws a person’s life out of balance.
• Emotional distress. Grief and guilt, and the fear of feeling regret or further loss are common motivations for hanging onto things.
• Psychological issues. Some psychologists believe clutter could have underlying causes such as low self-esteem, depression, attention deficit disorder or the inability to make decisions.

Take just one of these factors, for example, the inability to make decisions. Once someone has established the habit of indecision about the “stuff” that finds its way into their home, clutter is born … and grows from there.

The thoughts that play into this indecision and attachment to things include:

• “I might need/wear this someday.”
• “This reminds me of a happy time in my life.”
• “I spent a lot of money on it.”

Why declutter? It can help you save money in ways you might not have thought of. You’ll be able to:

• Find — and use — what you already own. No more running out to buy duplicates.
• Pay your bills on time. No more late fees because your bills aren’t lost in piles of paper and mail.
• Fit your things comfortably in your home. No need to rent a storage unit.
• Discover valuable items. If there are some you don’t need or want, you might consider selling them.
• Enjoy your home. A neat place lends itself to money-saving opportunities: preparing more meals at home, and having friends over instead of going out are just two.
• Spot the first signs of insulation problems … or water leaks. Catch them early in your junk-free basement or attic, when they might be less expensive to repair.
• Better resist temptation. After all your hard work cleaning out rooms, closets, cupboards and countertops, you probably won’t be in the mood to go out and spend good money on more stuff — especially these days with inflation impacting us all.

Decluttering will also help you feel better because you won’t be:

• Chronically distracted. Living in a cluttered environment taxes our brains because the stacks of stuff compete for our attention.
• Overwhelmed. Anxiety and self-criticism about a cluttered home can contribute to depression.
• Stressed out. Feeling anxious about clutter can release stress hormones such as cortisol — which can make physical health conditions worse.
• Putting off routine cleaning. Having too much stuff can make it hard to dust and vacuum regularly, which can make allergies and asthma worse.
• At greater risk if there’s a fire. Piles of flammable items are dangerous in their own right, and can also block exits.

Where to begin

Who doesn’t want to hang onto more of their money — and lower their stress? But just the thought of decluttering can be daunting.

If you’re ready to get started but don’t know where to begin, here are a few tips:

• Take small steps. Look for ways to prevent clutter from coming in your home in the first place. Sign up to pay bills with automatic bank withdrawal or credit card, and receive communications electronically.
• Get help. A family member, friend or paid decluttering consultant won’t have the same emotional attachments and high levels of tension associated with each tough decision. That can make the process faster and less stressful as you decide what to keep, donate or toss.
• Set rules. Especially if you prefer working alone, it helps to set guidelines for yourself: “If I haven’t worn it in the last two years, it has to go.”
• Break it down. Don’t expect to declutter your home in a day or two. Divide the entire project into smaller tasks — one room at a time, or one category at a time … clothes, books, dishes.

Good luck — you can do it!