End Of Life Decluttering - What To Get Rid Of First

 

The thought of decluttering our homes can be daunting, but when we think about it as it pertains to the inevitable, when we leave this earth, it can be difficult to even know where to begin.  Here are some ideas to help you make a big impact in a short amount of time.

 

Remove & Dispose Of Anything Embarrassing 

If there is anything in your home you don’t want others to know about such as certain photos, a pornography collection, sex toys and paraphernalia, arrest records, divorce or litigation papers from your past, old love letters you don’t want your children to read, etc. it may be time to remove them from your home.  Be sure these items are disposed of properly to minimize risk of them getting into the wrong hands.

 

Old Paperwork & Sensitive Information 

If you are someone who sits on a mountain of paperwork, even if it is organized, labeled and filed away it is time to take a look at it with a set of realistic eyes.  We don’t have to keep everything.  Old tax returns, loan documents from paid off loans, old banking records, expired credit cards and insurance cards, old credit reports and applications, any expired warranty information, old insurance papers from prior years than are no longer applicable, I could go on and on.  In a nutshell, if it is no longer relevant to your current state in life, let it go.  Make sure you shred everything that contains personal sensitive information to protect your identity from fraud.

 

Expired & Old Food 

This is an easy one as you simply go through and bag up all the food that is freezer burnt, damaged, moldy, old, way past its best buy date or is anything you don’t like.  Get it out of the house and into the trash.  Don’t take the icky stuff to the food bank because they’ll just end up putting it in the trash for you.  It always amazes me how that kind of stuff ends up at the senior center on our FREE table.  No one wants food you aren’t willing to eat yourself.

 

Medication 

Safely dispose of any medications you no longer use on a regular basis by taking them to your pharmacy or any specified drop off point.  Our city offers drug disposal events where you can turn in all pharmaceuticals and over the counter medications you no longer need.

 

Clothes That Don’t Fit Or Are Worn Out 

At this age I have accepted that I am not likely to lose weight and fit into anything that doesn’t currently fit me now.  If you have clothes in your closet or drawers that you are saving for someday when you lose weight do yourself a favor and get rid of them.  Otherwise they just sit there and mock you.  Likewise, get rid of any faded, worn out, ripped and torn clothes or shoes you happen to be hanging onto as well.  You don’t need them and no one else does either.

 

Start with this short and basic list to get the ball rolling and hopefully you will be able to easily start your decluttering journey to thin down your belongings.  The best thing we can do for our loved ones is to not leave this kind of stuff for them to have to deal with.