Are you drowning in things you don’t use, don’t love, or don’t have a convenient place to store? It’s time to tackle your mess!

I know what you’re thinking: “Yes, but … I don’t have time to organize and my space is so overwhelming that I don’t know where to start.”

Being organized is not a complement to what you currently do; instead, you are replacing a bad habit with effective and efficient behavior. Therefore, it takes less time to get organized than to get disorganized. And secondly, getting started is easy, just follow the Neat plan; You will get all the guidance you need to change the way you think, change your actions, and create a home to be proud of.

Get started tidying up your clutter now with these 5 simple strategies to reduce the volume of nonessential items (clutter) you bring into your home.

1. Always take a list to the grocery store. Consumer experts report that two-thirds of the purchases we make at the supermarket are things we did not intend to buy. For example:

• The aroma that emanates from the bakery can make you feel hungry and when you are hungry you buy more food. Solution: Shop after you’ve eaten something and buy only the items on your list.
• Children’s toys are purposely placed on the lower shelves of the supermarket so your little ones can grab items and put them in their cart. Solution: Schedule grocery shopping when you can go alone and buy only the items on your list; You will save time and avoid problems with young children.
• Supermarkets are organized to entice you to buy more. For example, the dairy section (an essential area for most families) is at the back of the store. The purpose of this design is to take you deep into the store with the intention that you buy more along your route. Solution: Take the shortest way to the dairy section and buy only the items on your list.
• Research suggests that the longer it’s on the market, the more you’ll buy. Solution: Don’t go all the way down the aisles. Shop only in aisles that have the products you need, buy only the items on your list, and get in and out as quickly as possible.

Buying items that are not on your list often results in duplicates and clutter. Also, it is not the best use of your assets (time and money).

2. Say “No” to family or friends who want to give you their inheritances. If the people around you offer items they no longer need or have no space for, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you love the article?
• Do you have a convenient and attractive space available for the item?
• Will you use the item enough to bring it home?

If you can honestly answer “Yes” to all three questions, please accept the article by all means. Otherwise, it will be just another mess.

3. Stay away from impromptu shopping. Impulse buying usually cuts off the opportunity to find out where you will keep an item and how much you will use it. Think twice about:

• Bringing vacation memories home.
• Sign up for subscriptions to magazines and book or DVD clubs.
• Night shopping on QVC and eBay.
• Shopping at the mall or specialty stores.

These are only material things; You may find them attractive, but you are not likely to need them. Save your money to pay off debt, build a solid financial foundation, and do good in the world.

4. Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. Did you know that in the course of a year you can receive up to 500 pounds of junk mail? Don’t let these things steal your space or your time by reading it more:

• Join http://www.stopthejunkmail.com. It is a fee-based service that allows you to stop junk mail (such as catalogs, coupons, contests, etc.) delivered to your mailbox by the US Postal Service.
• Or visit http://www.obviously.com/junkmail if you like to DIY and would like a free guide to reducing unwanted advertising.

If after applying this strategy you still receive a drip of junk mail, immediately throw it in your trash or recycle bin.

5. Inform gift givers that you prefer a gift certificate, gift card, or charitable donation in their name if they want to recognize a special occasion. You probably have gifts that you have never used and will never use taking up space in your home. But you cling to them because you don’t want to offend the giver of the gift. If this feeling reflects your thoughts, it is time to reframe your thinking. Keeping gifts that you will never use is not an asset … they are a liability. They steal your space.

Send the gifts you are not using to a charity and let someone else have a chance to enjoy them.

Practicing these strategies over a 21-day period will help you form an important cleaning habit. At the same time, you will find that incorporating this thought into your life will save you time and money and give you the confidence to tackle the next steps in the process. Neat plan.