{"id":7218,"date":"2019-08-15T13:06:31","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T17:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/?p=7218"},"modified":"2019-08-15T13:06:31","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T17:06:31","slug":"the-high-cost-of-clutter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.organizedinteriors.com\/blog\/the-high-cost-of-clutter\/","title":{"rendered":"The High Cost of Clutter: 5 Effects You Can\u2019t Afford to Ignore"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whoever came up with the expression \u201cwe\u2019re supposed to own our stuff, not let our stuff own us\u201d no doubt spoke from first-hand experience.<\/p>\n

The realization that you own far more than you need or use is a sobering one. It\u2019s also the perfect time to re-evaluate what\u2019s truly worthy of occupying space in your home.<\/p>\n

Clutter is a nuisance, a productivity killer, and has a negative impact on your finances, health, and overall quality of life.<\/p>\n

The high cost of clutter can be found in ways that are quite obvious and others that you may be completely overlooking.<\/p>\n

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Renting a self storage unit is nothing more than a long-term drain on your finances.<\/p><\/div>\n

How much does the cost of clutter affect you?<\/h3>\n

Any room in a house or condo that\u2019s disorganized and cluttered has some type of detrimental impact on the occupants of that home.<\/p>\n

And belongings that are stored remotely from your residence may not be taking up living space or slowing down your productivity at home, but they sure are a constant drain on your finances.<\/p>\n

If you take the time to \u201cedit\u201d your belongings, you\u2019ll end up saving money, getting more out of your living space, and feeling less stressed.<\/p>\n

Here are five ways the cost of clutter may be affecting you.<\/p>\n

1. Clutter affects your health<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s an all-too-common occurrence where someone looks around their cluttered home, wonders how their living space got so disorganized, and gets incredibly discouraged.<\/p>\n

Clutter is known to be a liability to your mental and physical well-being. Being surrounded by physical clutter ironically adds to your mental clutter, making you feel unsettled and not in control of your surroundings…in other words, stressed.<\/p>\n

This can affect your sleep, your confidence level, and your mood. You\u2019ve undoubtedly had a few run-ins with a family member at some point over their (or your) organizational shortcomings.<\/p>\n

Like any problem, the longer you avoid dealing with decluttering, the more daunting the whole process seems. This overwhelming and hopeless feeling only exacerbates your lack of motivation to take action.<\/p>\n

A Huffington Post poll found that 55% of Americans cite their home\u2019s lack of organization as a major source of stress. 84% of them worry about whether their homes are clean enough<\/strong>. This reveals another cost of clutter \u2013 it tends to be an embarrassment and makes you less likely to have visitors over.<\/p>\n

In extreme cases, excess clutter literally makes a home less safe. Stacked piles of junk become tipping hazards, loose floor clutter presents tripping hazards, and a home becomes a greater fire risk. The higher presence of allergens like dust, mould, mildew, and various bacteria types also contribute to a less healthy living space.<\/p>\n

2. More clutter = less living space<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a natural inclination for us fill up any empty space in our homes with stuff. If you set down roots in the same spot for a long time, that can lead to a lot of stuff you don\u2019t use much (or at all) taking up valuable square footage.<\/p>\n

For most people, their home is their most sizable investment. And high real estate prices, particularly in major cities, makes every square foot in your home even more precious.<\/p>\n

Consider these statistics:<\/p>\n