It’s been three weeks since I started my decluttering frenzy plan and am still going strong. I thought it would take two weeks max to follow through with my 50% less goal but not so much. I feel about halfway done at this point and have spent many hours thoughtfully editing every closet, cabinet, drawer, and surface of my house.

I’ve also learned that thoughtfully donating and selling items takes a long time as opposed to just dumping everything at Goodwill. I am putting together a full post about this for future reference.

In the meantime, I’ve been getting a ton of questions about what my plan is going forward for shopping and not becoming cluttered again.

Here’s the deal. I’m a shopper. I love beautiful things and also it’s my job to test stuff out. Which makes this task feel extra hard. So the rule that I’m setting for myself, inspired by my friend Meg, is a one in and one out rule. If I buy myself a new sweater, another one has to be donated or sold. If the kids get a new toy, they have to pass one down to their cousins or donate it.

The same goes for home decor, shoes, bags, skincare, and anything else you could possibly think of. Except food, medicine, and stuff we need to have on hand, obviously.

This has forced me to think long and hard before adding something to my cart. Just knowing that something else has to go means that the new item really has to feel worth it to me.

Who knows how long this will realistically last but I’m hoping indefinitely!

I’m opening up comments on this post and would love to hear any rules you guys have around shopping and keeping your home and/or office clutter-free.

Photo by Julia Dags.