--- title: Your Clutter Is Costing You description: Ever spent money on something you already had because you had no idea where it was? That is one way clutter can cost money. Here's what to do. image: https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/images/clutter.jpg --- [![MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2](https://go.hfcu.org/hs-fs/hubfs/MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png?width=464&name=MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2.png "MoneyWisdom_HFCU_r2")](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - [Auto](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/auto) - [Business](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/business) - [Credit Score](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-score) - [Home](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/home) - [Credit Cards](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/credit-cards) - [Life Changes](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/life-changes) - [Insurance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/insurance) - [Investments](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/investments) Filter by Category** - [Show All](https://go.hfcu.org/blog) - [Security](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/security) - [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) - 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Is it stuffed to the brim with clothes, shoes, suitcases, cleaning supplies, your high school chemistry textbook, etc., or can you do cartwheels in there? Is every horizontal surface covered in piles and piles of stuff or bare, save for a few knickknacks? If your house is filled with clutter, you probably know you won’t make the cover of [*Better Homes and Gardens*](http://www.bhg.com), but you may not be aware that it could be costing you money, too. Many people buy or rent bigger (and usually more expensive) places so they can have more closets or other storage space. They may also opt for the smaller space and pay rent on a storage unit. A clutter-filled house can also lead to increased entertainment costs; you don’t want your friends to see the mess (or are sick of seeing it yourself), so you go out. Duplication is another way that clutter can cost you. Have you ever spent money on something you already had because you had no idea where it was, and did not want to spend hours looking for it? If the thought of actually having to go through all your stuff makes you sweat, don’t worry. Here are some tips that can help make the decluttering process as painless as possible: **Do a little at a time**: You are less likely to get discouraged and give up if you set a series of small goals spread out over time (e.g., clean the closet in the master bedroom tomorrow, clean the garage next weekend) instead of trying to clean up the whole house at once. **Take a picture of sentimental items**: Do you have some items that you never use but can’t throw out because of their sentimental value (such as the doll you bought for your daughter who is now 25)? Taking a picture can make it easier to part with. You will have a reminder even if it’s no longer collecting dust in your closet. **Donate or sell**: While some of your items may be worn out and only welcomed by the trash bin, there may be many things you can sell to a consignment or thrift store, or donate to charity. Think of your cleaning as putting money in your pocket or helping others, instead of just a chore. **Use the “one in, one out” rule**: After you go through all that effort to get rid of what you don’t need, you probably don’t want the house to revert back to its former messy state a few months from now. A good solution is to get rid of something whenever you purchase something new. You buy a new t-shirt at the mall—when you get home, go into the drawers and get rid of an old one. By taking the time to declutter, you’ll be cleaning all the way to the bank.   *With that new-found savings, consider investing in yourself with a *[Your Way savings account](https://www.hfcu.org/bank/checking-accounts/your-way-accounts_and_services.html)*. This is the one-year plan with the great rate that everyone is talking about. *   ** [Personal Finance](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/topic/personal-finance) [** When Partners Don’t Agree About Money ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/when-partners-dont-agree-about-money) [** When Money is Tight, Prioritize Your Bills ](https://go.hfcu.org/blog/when-money-is-tight-prioritize-your-bills) ### About Author ![Hanscom Federal Credit Union](https://go.hfcu.org/hubfs/HFCU-Profile-1000x1000.jpg) Hanscom Federal Credit Union Hanscom Federal Credit Union, a purpose-driven $1.9 billion organization based in Littleton, MA, empowers its members to achieve financial wellness. Hanscom FCU serves over 95,000 members across the country and overseas through 16 branches, over 100,000 surcharge-free ATMs, 5,000 contact centers, and a web-based branch. 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Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. ## You are Leaving Hanscom Federal Credit Union #### **Please read the following before proceeding to:** ### https://www.instagram.com/hanscomfcu/ The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. 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Moreover, Hanscom Federal Credit Union's privacy policies do not apply to any of the linked websites within this blog. Please consult the privacy disclosures on those linked sites for further information. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Hanscom Federal Credit Union" }, "dateModified" : "January 31, 2024, 7:06:22 PM", "datePublished" : "2017-08-16 11:50:00", "description" : "Ever spent money on something you already had because you had no idea where it was? That is one way clutter can cost money. 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