Decluttering - The Biggest Money Saver of All | HuffPost Life

When you decide to embark on a good declutter, even just a short amount of time - do not forget to gently take note of what you are actually looking at. Each and every item. I'm not saying stare at them for a while or ponder and daydream. I just mean take a brief mental note.

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Professional Organiser. Practically de-cluttering the UK one home at a time.

Professional Organiser. Practically de-cluttering the UK one home at a time.

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When you decide to embark on a good declutter, even just a short amount of time - do not forget to gently take note of what you are actually looking at. Each and every item. I'm not saying stare at them for a while or ponder and daydream. I just mean take a brief mental note.

Observing the items that you are getting rid of will help you to avoid filling your home again with belongings you do not need or want. The money that may have been repeatedly wasted over the years and the objects you will roll your eyes at as you annoy yourself with thoughts of another unnecessary purchase, will subtly sync in to your mind.

You will refer back to that moment as you hold a pointless purchase in your hand in a shop on the way to the till. I can assure you it is a good feeling putting it straight back on the shelf. You feel like you've just banked some savings!

Sometimes I bank hundreds in a day. Things I like but refrain from buying. Pick up and put down again. Put in my online basket and then shut the page down. Never missed when I get home and never thought of again. I never go back out because I regret the decision not to buy. It wouldn't have been a necessity. It is truly a nice feeling being free from the label of 'unnecessary shopper'

Try it for one week and I think you will agree. And I bet you save!

It also makes shopping when you do actually need to so much more enjoyable.

Don't make the same mistakes, don't have things in your home that are never used and don't put this process off any longer. Bit by bit work on your home, free your headspace as well as your actual space and join this inspiring craze of simplifying your life.

I believe each and every tiny area you declutter (if doing alone start small and simple) you can absorb a lesson never to be repeated.

For every stationary area, sock drawer, wardrobe or kitchen cupboard I am sure there may be an example of money wasted.

Common Examples of excess over spending and buying that I have seen a lot of in homes over the last 5 years range from food to stationary to beauty products to clothing. Also gift drawers full of items never to be given.

Our generation panic buys. We fear running out of stuff, but truly as long as you have a few spares of items that you use very regularly there should be no danger that suddenly the range of shops in your area all will suddenly have a rush of people needing shampoo so much so that they will sell out at once!

The subject of decluttering and simplifying is growing at a fast rate. I think that as a nation and as we become more and more aware of our wellbeing and health we are realising decluttering our lives is an enormous part of the process

Decluttering should be the start. The start of most things you embark on. The beginning of anything new you do whether it is having a baby or starting a new health regime. It gets your mind ready and in the right place as well as your physical surroundings. Your home.

Decluttering and getting organised is always the first step.

In the future maybe we will not fill every space we have in our homes and we will not end up throwing expired things out because we can't use them up at the rate in which we buy. Maybe we will save money and find happiness in positive experiences not purchases. Maybe our homes will be more streamlined and our heads will be clearer.

It's a very nice thought anyway...

Where Are Germs Lurking In Your Kitchen

Kitchen Drain(01 of10)

The only thing in your home that houses more germs than the kitchen drain is your bathroom toilet. And this is problematic since the kitchen drain is in close contact with many other kitchen items. A quick way to clean your kitchen drain is to pour a little baking soda in it with warm water running. (credit:Getty)

Wash Cloth/Sponge(02 of10)

You may think you're cleaning your plates and cups when in fact you could just be spreading bacteria all over them. A sponge or wash cloth can house 134,630 bacteria/square inch, so you may want to keep it clean. You can either zap the sponge in the microwave for a minute, run it in the dishwasher, or make sure all the food scraps are cleaned off and allow to dry completely. (credit:Getty)

Kitchen Faucet Handle(03 of10)

When you need to wash your hands while making dinner, you have to use the faucet handle (with your dirty hands). The faucet handle essentially sees many hands before they've been washed, so don't forget to wipe it down. (credit:Getty)

Dish Towel(04 of10)

A study written about on NBC.com found that "7 percent of kitchen towels were contaminated with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the difficult-to-treat staph bacteria that can cause life-threatening skin infections." The best way to avoid germy kitchen towels is to wash them once to twice a week, and allow them to completely air dry. (credit:Corbis)

Microwave Buttons(05 of10)

When is the last time you wiped down your microwave buttons? For many of us, that answer would be close to never. But think about how many times dirty fingers are in contact those buttons. Next time you clean the inside of your microwave (which we sure hope you do), be sure to get the outside too. (credit:Getty)

Salt And Pepper Shaker(06 of10)

In a recent study conducted by the University of Virginia, "researchers asked 30 adults who were beginning to show signs of a cold, to name 10 places they'd touched in their homes over the previous 18 hours. The researchers then tested those areas for cold viruses. The tests found viruses on 41 percent of the surfaces tested, and every one of the salt and pepper shakers tested were positive for cold viruses." To solve this, just remember to wipe down your shakers when you wipe down your kitchen table. (credit:Corbis)

Kitchen Floors(07 of10)

Make sure you mop your kitchen floors regularly, particularly the spot in front of the kitchen sink. You know how dirty that sink and everything that has to do with it can get, and the floor space right next to it is certainly not exempt. (credit:Getty)

Cutting Board(08 of10)

Naturally, the cutting board is full of grooves and gouges from all the cutting that has occurred on it; those are great places for germs to hide. Be sure to thoroughly clean your cutting board with soap and hot water after each use. And it's a good idea to reserve one cutting board for meat and another for fruits and veggies. (credit:Getty)

Kitchen Counters(09 of10)

Kitchen counters get loaded with a bunch of stuff. We throw our keys on them, grocery bags, purses, mail. The list goes on and on. And all these items that we put on the counter are loaded with germs from everywhere else they've been. Be sure to wipe down the counter regularly, and do it with a clean sponge. (credit:Getty)

Kitchen Sink(10 of10)

Since the kitchen sink is where everything that's dirty goes to get cleaned, it makes sense that it's one of the dirtiest (and germ-iest) spots in your kitchen. The best way to solve this is to wipe down your sink regularly; treat it like you would a dirty dish. (credit:Getty)

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