The Konmari Method and Saving Money

On this cold day that feels like it will snow, I am inside doing laundry and reflecting on the state of my house, which I successfully ignored during the warmer months. It is a cluttered mess. Maybe not by some’s standards, but by mine it is. Even trying to find the right winter clothing has been painful….and, by the way, I can’t believe I have to think about that already!! My mom in Saskatchewan already has a foot of snow. Oh, Canada.

So what has being stuck inside on cold days made me think about? DECLUTTERING! And saving money because Christmas is creeping in. They are related, trust me.

A couple of years ago, I decluttered using my own methods and did about half of the house. Not surprisingly, the clutter crept in from the half I felt I didn’t need to do, and my house is a mess again. I have also found that once clutter creeps in, I feel like buying more stuff is the solution. Storage stuff, and then stuff to put in that storage, then cute other stuff cuz my house doesn’t feel “homey” enough….the cycle goes on. When I bought the famous Konmari Method book, she talks directly about her own experiences with this negative cycle. It’s not that your house doesn’t feel homey from lack of the right stuff, it is because you have too much stuff in the first place. This makes sense to me. Now, I am re-reading her book like a textbook and I am going to 100% free myself of clutter.

The last time, using my own methods, I did about half of the house and felt a billion times lighter. I didn’t buy as much stuff because I didn’t want to wreck the balance I had achieved in those rooms by adding an extra. I also started asking myself, “If I am going to impulse buy this item; why do I want it, where will I put it and how will I use it? Will it enhance the space or my life in any way?” The answer was often no. Which made me rethink buying it. It was brilliant. But the clutter crept into the rest of the house and I started to buy stuff again to make my place “homey” and “relaxing” which eventually just led to me impulse buying on random and feeling crazy.

This time, I am using the wildly popular Konmari method. It suits my sentimental nature and personality. I think it will work for me, although I know it won’t work for everyone. Also in her favour is the fact that, when I taught English in Japan for one year, I fit right in. I was mistaken for Japanese all the time; both for my looks (apparently) and for my personality. (Not, however, for my Japanese speaking ability, haha). I understand what she means when she speaks of Japanese-style closets (very different from ours) and the belief that every belonging having a certain energy (although I don’t think that is exclusive to Japan, it is certainly a more wide-spread feeling there). I feel connected to what she is saying in the book. I want to feel at peace in my home and instantly able to find what I am looking for.

Image of Marie Kondo, Courtesy of: https://konmari.com/

I also believe that this will help me save money. If everything in my house has its perfect home and is able to shine, I won’t have that “something is missing from my life possessions” feeling that urges me to spend money. I also won’t be willing to add senseless objects to my home without a great reason. My spending will be purposeful and mindful. This will help us save for our future easily. Plus, then I can really focus on paying down my credit card aggressively. It helps that I have also decided to shop as locally as humanly possible to support my local economy- goodbye online spending!

How do you budget?

Have you tried a decluttering method that works for you?

Do you try to shop locally in Canada?

Feel free to comment below!

Related Posts that you will enjoy:

• Why We Have Chosen To Live on a Tight Budget
• Feeling Calm All the Time is Bullsh*t
• Thoughts
• My Crazy Week