After last year’s decluttering marathon, I decided to go back to the beginning for round two the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge. To stay on track, I committed to sharing monthly progress updates, along with new decluttering tips I learn along the way. This month, I look at how stocking up on bargains can create waste and end up costing more money.

52-Week Decluttering Challenge

If you missed last year’s challenge, here are some links to help you get started.

• 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Free printable
• Week 1 – Easy decluttering checklist
• Looking back on a year of decluttering
• And, if you just want to jump in and declutter a specific area, you can find links to all the weekly tips and posts on the main Decluttering page.

April learnings – Avoid stocking up on bargains

Last year, when I decluttered my medicine cabinet, I threw out a lot of expired medication. Most of it was over-the-counter medication that I had bought in large “economy size” packages. I ran into a similar situation this month when I decluttered my bathroom drawers. I discovered three expired bottles of oregano oil—one of them had never been opened. So much for stocking up on bargains to save money!

We all love to feel like we’re getting a bargain. With prices on the increase, it’s so tempting to buy large quantities of items that are on sale. But, if you end up throwing half of those items out, those great deals end up costing you more money than if you paid full price. Similarly, although labelled “economy size”, extra large packages of medication or food items often lead to waste.

The best way to avoid overstocking is to know how much of a specific item your household uses. When you see a sale, limit what you buy to what you need in the foreseeable future. For food items, avoid buying more than a three- to six-month supply. For personal care and cleaning products, having one open and one or two extra is a good practice.

Cutting back on inventory frees up space in cupboards and drawers. It also reduces the risk of having to throw away expired items. Remember, reduced prices and economy-sized items are only a bargain if you need and will use the product.

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April decluttering update

With those learnings in mind, here’s a summary of this month’s decluttering progress.

Week 14 – Easter decorations

Last year’s post:  Decluttering challenge – Week 14 – Easter decorations

Seasonal items are easy to overlook because they’re tucked away out of sight for most of the year. Last year, I got serious about clearning out my Easter and other holiday decorations, so I had nothing to declutter this time around.

Weekly decluttering tally:  0 items

Week 15 – Media

Last year’s post: Decluttering Challenge – Week 15 – Media

Streaming services have pretty much eliminated the need for physical records, CDs, DVDs, and other media. I have a large collection of these items that I rarely use. Some would say they are ripe for decluttering, but they have an emotional attachment for me. This definitely is an area that I’m not ready to fully declutter so I’ll hang on to them for a while.

Weekly decluttering tally: 8 items

Week 16 – Books & magazines

Last year’s post: Decluttering Challenge – Week 16 – Books & magazines

Over the last couple of years, I reduced the number of physical books I buy. Instead, I download e-books or borrow books from the public library. I did find a few old textbooks and magazines that I got rid of this time around.

Weekly decluttering tally:  7 items

Week 17 – Under the bathroom sink

Last year’s post: Decluttering Challenge – Week 17 – Under the bathroom sink

The bathroom is an area where my focus on eco-friendly living and waste reduction has definitely helped control the clutter. Fewer products always means less clutter. When I ventured under the bathroom sink, I only found an old soap dish.

Weekly decluttering tally:  1 item

Week 18 – Bathroom drawers

Last year’s post: Decluttering Challenge – Week 18 – Bathroom drawers

Along with the three expired bottles of oregano oil I mentioned above, I also got rid of a couple of duplicates—a pair of nail scissors, and a pair of nail clippers.

Weekly decluttering tally:  5 items

Bonus decluttering

It’s always nice when you can slip in a little bonus decluttering. This month, my daughter Laura finished college and moved into a new apartment. This gave me the opportunity to relocate several items from her room, and also a couple of large items from the basement. I also cleared out some clothes from her closet and dresser drawers.

Bonus decluttering tally: 11 items

Overall, April was a decent decluttering month with a total of 32 items on their way out the door.

The plan for May is to finish up bathroom decluttering, and revisit the laundry room.

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How do you feel about stocking up on bargains? Does it save you money or create waste? Tell me your ideas below.