At the beginning of this year, I started my 52-Week Decluttering Challenge over from week one. To stay on track, I’m sharing monthly progress updates, along with any new decluttering tips I learn along the way. In this month’s decluttering update, I rethink the one-in one-out decluttering rule recommended by many experts.

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.

March learnings – Rethinking the one-in one-out decluttering rule

Now that I’ve shifted to decluttering maintenance mode, it’s important to remain vigilant so bad habits don’t creep in. Many experts recommend adopting a one-in-one-out decluttering rule—meaning for every new item you bring into your home, you choose one to get rid of. It’s one way to approach things, but is it enough?

Resisting the urge to buy new stuff

As I strive to declutter and live a more sustainable life, I have significantly reduced my consumption. Honestly, it has been easier than I would have thought. I started with applying mindful shopping habits and questioning every purchase. Then, last year, I did a buy nothing challenge for six weeks during Lent.

One of the biggest revelations for me is I used to buy a lot of stuff I didn’t really need.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not living a spartan existence devoid of life’s luxuries. Hey, I like new stuff just as much as the next person. The main difference is, the desire to accumulate new stuff is no longer a priority in my life, and I don’t view belongings as status symbols.

During my buy nothing challenge last year, a friend who is a Pampered Chef (PC) consultant, invited me to a virtual PC party. I explained I was doing a buy nothing challenge, but I joined the party anyway. Why? I love the products and it was fun to engage with the group and learn some new tips and recipes.

Last month, the same friend again invited me to a virtual party with an opportunity to get a 25% discount. I’ve been enjoying making stir-fries lately, so I decided to treat myself to a shiny new wok, along with some measuring cups to replace an old broken set. In addition to the two items I purchased, I got a set of measuring spoons and a mini-scraper for free.

Rethinking the one-in one-out rule

On the rare occasion I buy new things, I have been trying to apply the one-in one-out rule. So, four new items coming into my house meant choosing four items to get rid of.

The old measuring cups and spoons I was replacing were easy. As I went through my drawers and cupboards, I added a few more items to the pile. By the time I was done, I had set aside eight items to get rid of.

This made me wonder—is the one-in one-out decluttering rule enough? If I was able to do a quick sweep of my kitchen cupboards and drawers and identify eight items, maybe it’s time to step it up. With that in mind, in the future I’m going to try to follow a one-in two-out rule. I’ll keep you posted on how that works out in future decluttering updates.

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March decluttering update

In March, I continued closet decluttering with a focus on accessories. I did a major cleanup of these items last year, so I didn’t expect to find a lot. But there’s always a chance I missed something, or an item I just had to keep last year may have lost its lustre.

Here’s a summary of this month’s progress.

Week 10 – Closet decluttering: shoes

Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 10 – Shoes 

I did get rid of a bunch of shoes last year, but I still found three pair that I was unsure about last time around. This time, the decision was easy.

Weekly decluttering tally: 3 items

Week 11 – Closet decluttering: purses and bags

Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 11: purses and bags

I used to be a big fan of purses but these days I don’t often carry one. When I decluttered last year, I kept only four: one for winter, one for summer, a white one for dressier occasions, and a small black one for travel. I feel like that’s a pretty good number, so I’ll keep them all for now.

Weekly decluttering tally: 0 items

Week 12 – Closet decluttering: accessories and jewellery

Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 12 – accessories and jewellery

Last year, I really cleaned out my collection of costume jewellery. Even so, I identified six pieces of jewellery and one scarf to get rid of.

Weekly decluttering tally: 7 items

Week 13 – Living area table surfaces

Last year’s post: 52-Week Decluttering Challenge – Week 13 – Living area table surfaces

I have to say, I’ve done a much better job of keeping table surfaces clutter-free over the last year. But, I still found 10 items to get rid of, and relocated several others to their rightful home.

Weekly decluttering tally: 10 items

Bonus decluttering

While I am following my weekly decluttering challenge schedule, sometimes I just get a burst of enthusiasm and see other areas that are ripe for decluttering. When that happens, I just go with it. This month, I decluttered 26 items that weren’t on my regular schedule, including 11 t-shirts belonging to me and my daughter, some old handwritten notes, an epilator, 2 sets of note cards, and the kitchen items I mentioned earlier.

Overall, March was a great decluttering month with a grand total of 46 items on their way out the door.

The plan for April is to revisit media, books and move on to the bathroom. Plus, my daughter is graduating from college, so she’ll be moving out of her college residence into her first apartment. I have already identified a few things from our basement that she can use.

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What do you think of the one-in one-out rule? Do you have any other decluttering rules that work for you? Tell me your ideas below.