Almost everyone has jumped on the recent trends, whether it’s clothes, habits, shows or trinkets. Unfortunately, trends don’t last like they used to. Influencers have created so many trends such as the patterned leggings, water bottle choices, makeup options and so on. But what do we do when these trends no longer apply to us, and how do we handle all of these belongings in our spaces?Â
Monthly Check-ins
Everyone loves to shop, and the ones that say they don’t are lying. Spending time once a month to go through your closet, collections or skincare products can give you a new perspective on what you need in your day-to-day life versus what you have because it was a fad. Getting rid of things that no longer serve you or have a purpose in your life creates space for new things you might need more; the more you do this the better! There are a number of questions you can ask yourself when doing this: do I really need three lamps or would someone else love this one more than I do? Do I need 20 t-shirts or could I survive with ten? Do I need something new or am I just craving the dopamine of a new exciting thing?Â
Buy Second-hand
This may sound straightforward, but buying second-hand is much better for your pocket and the environment. I know how cheap Shein is, trust me, but when you sacrifice quality clothes for cheaper ones, rarely does it pay off. Besides, the things you find at a thrift store, or from a second-hand store always have a better story behind them. Some of the best things I own, whether it’s furniture or clothing, have been purchased through Facebook marketplace and the Salvation Army.Â
Buying Something Means Getting Rid of Something Else
Build the habit of knowing that when you buy something new, it means something you already own must go. This is an easy way to debate that purchase in the moment. For example, if you buy a new painting you love, maybe that means an older one you own deserves a new home. I’ve started doing this with my clothing, and when I can’t think of anything to get rid of, it means I don’t have a reason to purchase it. This applies unless something has been on my wish list for a long time and I won’t find another like it again.Â
Make a Master List
Sometimes there’s things you want but can’t purchase right away. If you wish to save up for something you’ve been searching for, write it down, contemplate it for a certain amount of time, and then debate how important it is for you to own. Finding something in the moment is less about the piece itself than it is about buying something for the fun of it. If you go shopping with a list, it’s harder to justify buying the first thing you like knowing you’ve set aside money for the things you’ve been thinking about buying longer.Â
Evaluate Your Connection to The Things You Own
If you have an attachment to a specific water bottle or stuffed animal, do you need seven more? Having a backup object or something that you can replace it with makes sense, but you don’t need a million of the same object. If you attach meaning to specific objects, evaluate why you have that attachment and what it would mean for to you to detach emotion from it. Maybe you went on a trip and got a bunch of souvenirs, but how can you incorporate them into your style at home? If you can’t, or you decide that you really don’t like them, don’t keep them just because you got them on a trip and have a positive memory of that place. I like to think that the longer you keep something you don’t need or like, the longer you’re keeping it from someone that has a better use for it or could love it more than you do. Don’t hog objects you don’t value anymore!
There’s no right or wrong way to collect things, but having an abundance of items doesn’t always benefit you in the ways you think they will. Having less objects that have value or meaning behind it gives you a sense of self that shifts as you move through life. Battling overconsumption isn’t easy, but it’s worth having a look at the things you own and learning to donate what you don’t need.Â