7 Clear Signs that You Own Too Much Stuff

If you're used to living with a house full of possessions, you might not even realize you have much more than you really need.  After all, your house doesn't look much different from others you visit.  Yes, there's some clutter and crowding, but that's what happens when a family leads an active life, isn't it?

Every once in a while you clear out a few extras, such as outgrown clothes and toys, old tech, extraneous papers, and some of those freebies that keep finding their way home with you.  "But really," you think, "what's the fuss about minimalism and decluttering?  A little mess is normal."

If you really want to know, here are a few ways to tell whether you own too much, whether you need to declutter, and/or whether you need to start being more thoughtful about what you buy and bring home.

7 clutter clues

1.  You see A LOT of stuff.

As you glance around a room, you definitely notice a lot of visual noise.  Things are stacked on top of other things and spread all over the floor, couch, bed, etc.  Merely owning a large number of possessions doesn't indicate a clutter problem, but it might.

2.  The stuff is out of place.

If you see a plate and fork on your desk or dresser, you know it doesn't belong there.  Dishes and silverware have a very specific home, and it's not on the desk or dresser.  A pile of clean clothes on a chair or the kitchen counter looks like clutter.  Cases of toilet paper or soda in the entry hall or on top of the washing machine look like clutter.  Serving trays and small appliances that have to be stored in the linen closet instead of the kitchen might be clutter.

3.  The stuff is untidy.

A large shelf with dozens of beautifully arranged books doesn't look like clutter – it looks like a loved and cared-for collection.  However, if the books are stacked haphazardly, piled on top of and behind each other, and (most telling of all) covered in dust, then the whole mess looks like clutter.

4.  The influx of stuff is greater than the outflow.

This is a common occurrence for many of us.  There are so many occasions for which buying things is expected – birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, weddings, births, graduations, and more.  And there are so many opportunities to buy on impulse or pick up freebies.  Yet we don't have comparable occasions for removing things from our homes.  Maybe during spring cleaning or yard sale season some of us do a partial purge, but it's not a regular routine.  And we rarely, if ever, consider reducing our purchases.

5.  You keep stuff because it was a gift, or because you don't want to "waste" it.

If you're worried that letting go of something you have no use for makes you wasteful, but you simply store the item and never find a use for it, then you still have a problem.  As minimalist author Joshua Becker has said, "If you're not using the stuff in your home, get rid of it.  You're not going to start using it more by shoving it in a closet somewhere."

The same applies to gifts.  If you have no use for something, you should be able to declutter it without guilt.  An item that comes with obligations isn't a gift at all – it's a manipulation.  A true gift is a token of affection.  But if the object doesn't enhance your life, you should be free to remove it, since it has already served its purpose an an expression of love.

If you struggle with guilt or fear that you're "betraying" someone when you don't keep their gift, you may develop a problem with clutter.

6.  You keep buying storage solutions.

I'm not saying attractive glass storage jars, a two-tier organizer that makes the most of a pantry or bathroom cabinet, or sturdy non-slip hangers aren't useful.*  Of course they are.  But if you're constantly trying to organize and keep the mess under control, maybe the problem isn't lack of organization.

If you need a special caddy to organize your water bottles and travel mugs, a hair clip organizer, a rolling mirrored jewelry armoire, and "smart" QR labels to help keep track of all your stuff in storage, maybe you should reconsider.  Cleaning expert Don Aslett called most storage systems "junk bunkers," and Joshua Becker reminds us that "Owning less is better than organizing more."

If you have to keep buying stuff to store your stuff, you might have too much stuff.

* This blog is reader-supported, with NO ADS.  If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission.

7.  You carry credit card debt from month to month.

This may be "normal," since it's quite common.  But it's a sign that you're buying more every month than you can actually afford.  If you're able to pay for rent, groceries, gasoline, electricity, and other basic essentials without using credit, but still carry debt from month to month, you might have a clutter problem.  Even dollar store purchases, clearance items, and fast fashion add up.

How do you know you should declutter?

• Your home is packed full of objects that you don't truly need, use, or want, but that you can't seem to get rid of.

• You regularly "lose" things and spend time searching for necessities – or you wind up replacing them because they remain buried somewhere.

• The stuff you own fills your living space, hallways, spare rooms, attics, basements, sheds, garages, and/or off-site storage.  In other words, it's squeezing you out.

• The stuff you own creates tension in your relationships and interferes with your family's well-being.

• You spend inordinate amounts of time cleaning and organizing.

• You feel overwhelmed and out of control with your possessions.

• Your mind isn't as happy, relaxed, and focused as it could be.

• You're not sure how to change, or even where to start.

Here's help.

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