Classifying Clutter

Organizing is a passion of mine, especially helping people get rid of all that "stuff" we tend to accumulate over the years. For me clutter sucks the energy out of a space, so decluttering is like lifting a weight off my shoulders.

Helping someone get rid of their clutter requires a variety of strategies tailored to both the type of clutter and the reasons why that person is holding on to it. One of my favorite reference books on the topic is the organizing bible, Julie Morganstern's book Organizing From The Inside Out.

But I recently came across a blog post on Real Simple's "Simply Stated" blog that offers another great way to think about categorizing the clutter in your home. The list is from a book that's on my "must read" list (and currently sitting on my night stand) - The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin.

1. nostalgic clutter
2. self-righteous conservation clutter (useful to others, but not me)
3. bargain clutter
4. freebie clutter
5. crutch clutter (stuff I use but shouldn't)
6. aspirational clutter
7. outgrown clutter
8. buyer's remorse clutter

I love these categories, and can already think about how I'd approach identifying and getting rid of each type of clutter. I wasn't really expecting organizing tips from Gretchen's book, but now I'm more anxious than ever to start reading it!