Getting married means moving in together and blending households, which often includes mementos and other things you’ve collected over the years. Dealing with a lot of stuff is difficult, and here are five of our best decluttering tips to help.
Why do newlyweds need the best decluttering tips?
You’re taking a big step in your life by getting married and moving in with your significant other. Congrats!
However, a challenging part of moving in together is the process of combining households. Additionally, you need to determine what you want to save and what you should give away. Yikes!
This can be especially difficult if you have parents on both sides pushing boxes of mementos and keepsakes from all of your years. As a result, decluttering your past can be challenging, but our best decluttering tips will make it easier.
Best Decluttering Tips for Mementos
1. Save only what you have room to keep.
Sentimental clutter can take up a lot of space. Therefore, it’s hard to justify holding on to some things knowing they will likely sit in a box forever.
If you have the additional space to sort through some of these items a bit at a time, dedicate a spot in your home to housing sentimental items that you don’t want to display.
2. Limit your personal memorabilia.
We want to savor our memories. Consequently, one of the ways we do that is through souvenirs, photos, and other things. Decide as a couple the limits you will put on these items to stop the flow of these useless things in the first place.
If you aren’t going to display them anywhere, ask yourself if it’s worth getting them at all. Maybe your parents will want to keep some.
3. Be realistic about your keepsakes.
Memories tend to get attached to the items we held during our childhood, things lost loved ones used to wear, or an exciting gift we received. However, taking off the nostalgia goggles is important when going through your keepsakes.
Ask yourself a few questions. Do these items have real practical purposes? If not, is there a way you could digitize this item through a photo or other means?
This can limit the amount of physical space without losing that item entirely. Answering these questions is one of the best decluttering tips to reduce your stash.
4. Leave room for new memories.
When it’s time to let something go, think of it as making space for new memories with your significant other. It’s okay to let go of things you used to care about as a child but don’t hold the same meaning to you anymore.
Decide what you want to do as a couple. Additionally, don’t ever let guilt keep you from letting things go so that you can make room for other things.
5. Know when to say no.
Parents and grandparents can be pushy when it comes to mementos and keepsakes. However, don’t let this decision keep you from saying no.
It’s okay to tell them that you are trying to focus on decluttering or minimizing the items in your home and that while you do appreciate those items, you do not want them.
If you feel bad about saying no, suggest a different option, such as giving it as a gift to someone in need or passing it on to another family member who would enjoy it more.
Save the best decluttering tips for your mementos.
Whether you have piles of boxes that you need to go through with your significant other or just a few, these tips are going to make decluttering your past so much easier.
