If you have been hibernating in this cold weather and Netflixing while dreaming of spring, then you probably have heard of Marie Kondo and whether you are on board or not with her methods, it does spark an important question, (get what I did there? Spark a question….watch the show if you don’t quite get it) does all this stuff make us happy?
The whole idea is about finding what sparks joy in your life and that all this stuff isn’t adding to our lives, but in some cases is actually detracting the joy from our life. You may be thinking great, but what does this have to do with my finances? LOTS! All that stuff cluttering up your house had to be purchased with your hard earned paycheck and on the flip side – selling your gently used items could net you some extra cash now.
I have recently started de-cluttering and finding the joy in my own home. While it can seem like a daunting task it is essential to take it step by step – as my old friends NKOTB would say. Don’t think it’s worth the time to declutter? Here are a few things to ask yourself that may make you decide it is worth the time!
- What about all the items in your closet you haven’t worn in 2 years, or never worn at all?
- What does your garage look like right now?
- Is your third stall so full of stuff you couldn’t fit a snowblower, let alone a car into?
- Are you renting a storage unit because you have run out of room in your house?
- Do you buy things because you don’t want to spend the time looking for something you know you already have?
- Do you invite friends out for dinner instead of inviting them to your home for dinner because of the clutter?
Now do you still think it might be a waste of time?
We all have so much stuff that we never use just sitting around our homes. What if you donated those items to people who could really use them? What if all the money spent on that stuff had started an emergency fund instead? It’s never too late to get started. Then, once you are done organizing your home you might want to jump into your finances too and start “tidying up” your budget, credit score, investments, retirements plans and your goals. If you need help in this area, you can always count on your Voyage Financial Travel Agency to help out. Good luck “sparking joy” in your home and in your finances!
