After the dust has settled on the debris of Christmas-present-ripping aftermath, you gaze at the mountain load of new clothes, shoes, books, toys and wonder how on earth you’re going to fit them into your already burgeoning cabinets.

Time to declutter your home for the New Year

There’s really no time like the present to take stock of what’s in your life and home, and what really matters. As the great Charles Dickens once said: “My advice is to never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.”

Yes. De-cluttering is very, very hard work. But…

There are lots of benefits to cleaning out your home this year-end, and not just to make room for your new loot.

Instead of shoving your stuff into another overcrowded cupboard, take some positive action on your home. It’s time to spring clean for the New Year!

1. Time with the Family

For starters, most of us have annual leave to clear towards the end of the year, and this would be one family activity you could plan into your time-out from work. Second, it’s a great way to get the whole family involved in something that affects everyone. Assigning each child the responsibility to sort through certain items fosters ownership of the items they do eventually choose to keep. Of course, for very young kids, it would be wise to closely supervise them in their task.

2. Donate it!

Thirdly, there are many agencies (check out our compilation of Where To Donate Your Kids Pre-Loved Toys, Books, Old Clothes And Home Furniture In Singapore) who seek to help the less fortunate through gifts in kind – some local and some overseas. Do your research beforehand, and explore the possibility of donating your items to their cause, instead of just throwing it in the trash.

3. One man’s Trash is another man’s Treasure

You might even be able to make a little money in the process. Sites like Facebook Marketplace, Carousell and ebay are great avenues for selling off items that are still in great condition and high demand. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Next, the process of decluttering can provide that much-needed catalyst to get you to continue with things you have left off doing or simply given up on halfway. Now that you’ve found that long-lost sewing scissors, you can get back into action with finishing up your new cushion covers!

4. All in Order

Lastly, there’s just something very satisfying about organizing your lives and home into some semblance of order. At least you’ll know where everything is, and won’t be thrown into a tizzy when Chinese New Year swings around!

By Dorothea Chow.

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