clutter quit consuming and start living: clutter consumer life
by SIF
46 comments
You and the clutter continuum.
Where do you fall in the clutter continuum?
In the blogosphere and in life, I’ve observed about five distinct clutter cultures (although sub cultures certainly abound). Some have the need or desire to clear things out, while others may want to avoid decluttering. I suspect we have a rather diverse community here at the Simple Life in France . . . but you never know until you ask! Do you fall under any of these categories?
1. strict minimalists:
you may live in tiny spaces (RV’s), paint your dwellings white and eschew window dressings. You have clutter beat and are now working on more advanced projects.
2. simplicity seekers:
You may have recently pared down your affairs, maybe due to a move or a sudden change of heart. Less cluttered than most, you are still not satisfied and are still pruning away.
3. recently awakened clutter fighters:
At some point in the not so distant past, you woke up and said, “Huh? where the heck did all this stuff come from?” You’re wondering why you even have some of these things. In fact, you’re pretty sure you have stuff in your home that you have entirely forgotten about waiting to be discovered . . .as in an archeological dig. You’re ready and determined to purge! Eventually. In the meantime, you still may find yourself struggling not to add more stuff to the mix.
4. cozy clutter bugs:
You like your stuff. It makes you happy to be able to see the things you own–your book collection, your childhood toys. . .in fact, there’s more where that came from in storage someplace. When you find you can’t put things away, you go out and buy some new shelves or closet organizers. Your closets, in fact, resemble that old video game: tetris, where everything has to fit just so or the game is over!
5. health hazard:
Some of my readers will think I’m kidding, but I’m not! In high school, visiting a friend’s home, I realized that I could not distinguish from the ‘trash’ and the rest of the kitchen counter. In my parent’s house, sitting on the sofa (near the laundry room) often means having a pile of my dad’s (clean–thankfully!) underwear cascade onto your head. If this isn’t hazardous to your physical health, it can at least leave you emotionally scarred!
Alright–that’s enough of me being nosy for one day. If you find the above describes you, fire away. If I haven’t covered your category, feel free to add one. I’ll put my own response in the comment section–for full disclosure purposes.
I have been a simplicity seeker for ages. I will find I am collecting more junk, purge said junk, or try to organize needed junk (like my art supplies. I sew, crochet, knit, draw, paint, etc.)
It’s an ongoing, evolutionary process. I am never finished getting myself in order; because if I did, what ever would I do?
I’m probably #3, except that I also eschew window dressings. I love to see the light coming in through the windows. And if anyone out there is getting a thrill by peeking in at us as we play “Sorry” around the kitchen table – I guess we’re spreading the happiness!
I’m #3, only because I’ve been #5. God help me!
Atheist Mama–Yipes! Would that be for a little social work? I have a hard enough time with clutter, but filth is the worst.
I hear you on leaning towards level 2–also you have kids (or one kid, can’t remember) so I think that presents and additional challenge.
Clisby–I have the same attitude about the window dressings–”if you don’t like, it don’t look,” I often say!
Consciously Frugal–aha! a number 5–I knew there were some out there 
. Thanks for sharing your past and your progress!
As promised–my clutter continuum score: 2 simplicity seeker. If I lived alone, I could probably be a 1. In fact, I spend quite a bit of time organizing and de-cluttering the people I share space with. I grew up in a #5 house, perhaps that’s why I’m so anal about clutter. It really bugs me.
Susan, ok my response to your comment is apparently in cyberspace. . .so I will restate: I really can identify with the idea of de-cluttering as an ongoing process. I’ve yet to meet anyone in real life who is finished in that aspect. . .although I’ve read some bloggers who sound like they’re there.
Tetris! Ahhh you slay me! 
(I’m gonna steal that one)
To avoid this, my rule is that storage space should never ever be more than 80% full.
Come on now. Tetris is soothing. I play the demo app on my cell phone, but I’m too frugal (read cheap) to buy the app. As for clutter, I am a striving #2. I’ve had to overcome years of contingent thinking, e.g. someday this ziploc baggy of rubber bands will be handy and so will this collection of duffel bags and …
Now I ask myself, about those things I use infrequently, how long has it been since I’ve used it and what would be the cost to me if I didn’t have it and suddenly needed it. I’ve been able to let go of much more stuff. I just hope somebody somewhere is getting some use out of it because I abhor waste. That whole “starving children in India” guilt-trip that chivvied me as a child really did a number.
I grew up in a #5 household and I still have nightmares about mould and filth (honestly; nightmares). So I can never, ever let my clutter get to that point, but I’m somewhere between #2 and #4 – I like a cosy amount of clutter; to me, minimalism = cold, unlived-in. I admire it when done well and sometimes think it would be nice, but really, I like old stuff, cosy warmth and comfort. When I was nine, my family moved into my dad’s mother’s house, she was very neat and clean (Mum said granny was a snob; years later I realised she was probably turning her nose up at my mum’s housecleaning – or not cleaning)! I tend to like things granny had; china, vintage prints, doileys, table linen etc and maybe the collections and vintage bits and pieces signal security to me, a sort of reassurance to myself that she would be happy to come to my house; it’s full of stuff, but it is clean! We moved about 8 years ago and I had a major declutter 2 years before, and another one in the year or two after we moved; I think it’s time for another round!
I’m a 2.5-mainly because I have some equipment-intensive hobbies (handspinning, weaving, knitting…), and I have a farm. I too have been in many #5 homes-as a visiting RN-they do exist.
Jacob–that’s a great rule. I’ve noticed that there is almost always trouble when you have more than 80% of your storage space full–no matter where you are on the continuum. As for the tetris, steal away
Maus, Ah the contingency thinking. But if you live in the US these days with craigslist, you almost don’t need to store weird items because you can keep buying them used as needed. And I think it’s important to remember that stuff that you keep in case you need it may be just as wasted as stuff you give away. . .
Attila, good point you make on cluttered versus clean. I tend to associate cluttered and dirty in my mind, because the two do tend to coincide, but not always. And I liked your description of your grandmothers house. My MIL’s place is somewhat like that. It’s perfectly clean–irreproachably–but she has an astounding amount of stuff. Wall to wall furniture, paintings, old books, little figurines, decorations, plants . . .it’s all tasteful, just a little too full for my own personal taste. But I’m not as freaked out because it’s clean!
TrishB–I always think that equipment that is useful and used should not count as clutter, but sometimes it does get to big for the storage space as Jacob pointed out. I think if you have a farm, you certainly need more ’stuff’ than someone who has, say, a pot of garlic like I do. And since you have a farm, you probably have more space to keep things . . .and even repair things, so perhaps keeping parts and old equipment around actually makes sense too.
according to those categories, I am a strict minimalist.
although not all my walls are white. The Walls do not belong to me, I´m only staying for a year, so to start reorganizing everything would not be minimalistic at all. Sometimes acceptance is more minimal than white paint.
Somewhere between 2 and 3. We seem to move every few years and this year is not exception so every week I am tackling a different room of the house to eliminate the clutter that seems to breed like rabbits. Where does this stuff come from?
Kai–excellent point about being minimalist by not reorganizing everything for short stays. And by the way, I don’t think that walls must actually be white to be minimalist, but it’s a trait I’ve noticed.
Catherine–I move a lot too and I think it’s always an experience that makes you realize how much clutter you have! You might be as uncluttered as someone who considers themselves a 2 and doesn’t move much. And asking oneself where the stuff comes from is always an interesting question!
For decades I was a happy cozy clutter bug. Now I have a desire to become a simplicity seeker so in the meantime I only qualify as a weekend warrior clutter fighter.
However, I have finally won the war on preventing further accumulation of the unnecessary.
Lean Life Coach–Welcome and thanks for sharing. I like your category of ‘weekend warrior clutter fighter.’
As you point out, ‘preventing further accumulation of the unnecessary’ is a mandatory first step. There’s no sense pitching all the extra clutter in your house if you have more pouring in!
I grew up in a #4 house and lived happily as a #4 for the first several years of my adult life. I spent a couple of years as a #3, before settling in to #2. #1 has a certain appeal to me, but I don’t think will ever be a reality for me because #4 is just still so ingrained in me.
AMD–It’s interesting how we evolve isn’t it. By the way, it’s also interesting that I haven’t met too many people in real life or on blogs who are actually #1–although many of us find the ideal appealing. As for having a place on the clutter continuum being ingrained in a person . . .I hadn’t thought of that before, but it makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve lived in my boyfriend’s house for over a year now, and haven’t added anything to the house at all except for some kitchen utensils and gadgets. The only thing I buy is clothes, and have been getting rid of things I don’t really wear. So I guess I’m somewhere between a #2 and #3, and would fully be a #2 if not for my unfortunate shopaholic tendencies when it comes to clothing (which I’ve currently corralled somewhat).
I’ve been considering the possibility of having kids recently, and one of the things that holds me back is the potential for clutter that a child would bring to the house. I remember the horrors of toy-infested houses that I’ve seen, and especially with a grandmother who knows no restraints when it comes to shopping, mine will probably be no different. Have you ever thought about, or has anyone else ever successfully found ways to keep the clutter at bay when you have children?
There is this show on cable tv called Hoarders. It is fascinating to watch. It is an intervention show involving people who obsessive compulsively hoard their possessions. In one episode, they found 2 dead cats at the bottom of this lady’s pile of crap in her house! It was awful, yet riveting…
Pickler–the last time I was in the States, I did see that show actually, but I had forgotten about it since–completely forgotten. Two dead cats, you say? Wow, just, wow. You must have felt like a deer in the headlights watching that!
As you know, I don’t have kids, but you ask a great question. I wonder about clutter via grandparents often . . .I actually had a few friends in Washington State that decided not to give their first child any toys and somehow the grandparents didn’t give him toys either (not sure how they managed). When I went to visit, the baby was just over 1 year old and their house was completely uncluttered. Their theory in the toylessness was that the child often was fascinated by average items for short periods of time: cardboard box, potato, spoon etc. The only drawback I noticed is that he then seemed to think everything was a toy–then again, he was engaged with the real world.
But maybe you don’t have to get that extreme to limit the toys. By the way, just because a grandparent gives a kid a toy doesn’t mean it has to clutter the house. I personally re-gift items all the time without shame. You could also tell granny that you want to keep some toys at her place . . .for when she’s babysitting and then haul a crate of ’stuff’ over there. How’s that for an evil plan? I’m curious to hear other people’s ideas on this topic and may have to post on it separately. . .
I think the idea of having a box of toys at granny’s house is brilliant; although what do I know – I don’t have children. I do however have visiting children and keep my childhood farm animals for them; they are fascinated and ask for it again and again. I think they love it because its only available for a limited time. I have heard of people hiding away toys for a while and then getting them out later and putting other toys away.
Attila–that’s a great idea too: hiding away toys so that they become novel again. Also toys that are ‘hidden’ don’t contribute as much to a cluttered look! (although they do take up limited storage space.).
I’m a number 5 at the moment, courtesy of a mother who made inane comments all my life encouraging packrattery, and now doesn’t understand why I can’t purge. I would like to be a 2.5, as I too have some equipment hobbies, knitting, sewing, and I am also building a small collection of vintage items. I know what stuff I need to purge, I just can’t bring myself to do it. 
However, if you’d seen it before my last major purging session you’d see I AM making a lot of progress.
Jennifer–I think that when you’re starting out at something is when you make the most progress in the least amount of time. I suppose that going from level 5 to level 3 will take less time than going from level 3 to level 1–just a hunch. And the thing is, you learn all of these weird lessons in families and cultures and yes, they can be very, very ingrained. But at some point, you have to take things into your own hands if you want to unlearn them–good luck on your journey.
I think you forgot two categories – striving for minimalism but living with less tidy person & striving for self sufficiency therefor need a bit stuff (food, tools etc)
ET–I like it. I think I fall under the first category you mention . And you’re right, self sufficiency can mean needing a few more things. . .I wonder if there is a way to be minimalist and self-sufficient at the same time???
I am a pack rat, who seeks simplicity. I have way more than I need and I am trying hard to pair down, but I hate to just toss it, and haven’t the time to upcycle it…
So I just keep putting one foot in front of the other making itty bitty changes
Tree–I personally think you should never underestimate the itty bitty changes. It is hard to let go of stuff sometimes–and more time consuming when you’re trying to do it responsibly! Good luck with your pruning.
Regarding kids and toys and clutter . . . I vaguely remember seeing a feature in the New York Times about a couple with a baby who lived in a very minimalist apartment. They stored all of their baby’s toys in a vintage suitcase.
[...] You and the clutter continuum by Simple Life in France [...]
Kris–I like that idea. And if the suitcase gets to full, you can then choose some outdated toys to donate.
Nice phrase! Is that your own invention?
I guess I fall under #2.
Historically (if I am recalling correctly), most groups of people were more nomadic in their lifestyles – adjusting as the seasons dictated.
It wasn’t until the advent of agriculture and farming that people were able to stay put and start “collecting”.
FinEngr . . .my own invention? I doubt it–anything can fall under a continuum (if that’s the phrase you’re referring to) I have a thing for alliteration though . . .
You’re right about farming coinciding with people staying put and collecting more items. And as people created a surplus of food, it allowed for specialization–and time to create and trade even more stuff. (Not a bad thing, by any means!)
[...] I mentioned in an earlier post, we all fall in different places along the clutter continuum, and our tolerance (need?) for clutter can change daily, seasonally and as we [...]
I’ve been a #3 for years and aspire to being closer to #2. The problem is my husband and kids are committed #4s with no interest in changing.
If I could get them to #3 I suppose I could be content. It just feels like I’m dragging a giant weight along as I evolve personally. I love them dearly but hate the stuff that comes with them.
JMK–oh the stuff that comes with the people we love! At least with kids you can kind of try to control the accumulation of clutter, right? I say that, but I don’t have kids, so I may just be idealizing the situation!
Definitely simplicity seeker. It’s been a process and is morphing everyday into something else beyond just being clutter free. I am now finding as I get a bit older, my priorities in life are taking center stage and the “stuff” around me really is for my use to accomplish those priorities. : )
Heather-interesting point about having stuff serve you instead of the other way around–just like money should serve you and not the other way around. I think the two attitudes are related.
I am conflicted – at best a #2-wannabe, at worst a #5-in-waiting. At least anything likely to go mouldy makes it into the compost caddy
I know I should pare down my kitchen, then I’d keep on top of washing up the pots and crocks. Sometimes (when home from work all listless and lazy….) I plan my dinner not so much around ‘what ingredients do I have?’, but ‘what pans are clean…?’ Terrible, I know… I just have to nag myself more about the washing up.
And don’t even look in the bedroom, please… let’s just say a bed isn’t a bed unless it’s also a library. Six books beside the pillow, minimum.
I’m definitely a simplicity seeker…striving to be somewhere between 1 and 2…leaning more towards 2
I’ve been to houses that are health hazards as well…but the ones I visited (and thankfully don’t have to visit anymore) sound a little worse than yours…
I’m talking dirty undies, kitty litter everywhere, moldy food on the floor and cockroaches. ::shivers::