"What If I Need It?" How to Let Go of Just in Case Clutter
When you’re feeling overwhelmed by stuff and you decide it’s time to declutter, you’re suddenly faced with a few different types of choices. First, you have the low-hanging fruit—items you immediately know can go in the trash, recycling, or donate pile. We love these ones because it's instant gratification!
Then there are the items that are harder to decide on. Sentimental and nostalgic items are a tough category, but wow, so are items you're likely keeping "just in case."
They don’t seem like a big problem, but they add up quickly.
Things like: ● So many extra sets of sheets ● Old T-shirts or worn-out towels saved “for the dog” or “for rags” or "for painting" ● Shoes that hurt but are "too nice to get rid of" ● Mystery cords and chargers for phones or devices you no longer own ● The old coffee maker (in case the new one breaks) ● Moldy coolers ● Old TVs (for the basement someday) ● Empty boxes (you never know when you’ll need a good box) |
If this is your primary source of clutter, you may suffer from WIINIS, aka "What If I Need It Syndrome.” (Also known as JICC, “Just In Case Clutter.")
But it’s nothing to beat yourself up about, you usually keep these items because you’re resourceful and practical! I'll admit, I once had a pretty towering cardboard box pile in my basement.
Let's take a deeper look at what these items are costing you and how you can let some of it go.
Why WIINIS Is So Tricky
Before we can change our habits and behavior, it helps to understand where they’re coming from. And keeping excess items like those mentioned above is definitely a learned behavior. We weren’t born thinking, “I’d better keep these soy sauce take-out packets in case I need them someday when the bottle runs out.”
So what influences our choice to keep these kinds of items? Here are a few common reasons...with which ones do you identify?
"I paid good money for that." Ahhh, the dreaded feeling of spending money on something we later realize we rarely (if ever) use. It happens to the best of us, so don’t be too hard on yourself. In this case, letting go can feel like admitting the purchase was a mistake, so we keep it to avoid that little sting of regret.
"We didn't waste things growing up." As kids, most of us learned not to waste things. But if something is never used and you’re just keeping it so it ‘doesn’t go to waste,’ then I have news for you…it’s still waste, but you’re storing it in your home instead of letting it go.
"Someday I'll..." This is one we can ALL relate to. The pile of clothes you keep meaning to patch, the photos you’ll finally put into albums, or the bread maker for the fresh loaves you’ll make every weekend…someday.
"I'm too tired to decide." We have so much going on in our lives these days, and when you're worn out, "keep" feels like the safe default, so the pile grows one tired decision at a time.
Let’s look at how these items weigh you down, beyond just the space they take up in your home.
What That Pile Is Really Costing You
Ready for a plot twist? Keeping items for “just in case” doesn't save money, in fact it quietly costs money instead.
Square Footage Isn't Free Every square foot of your home is part of your rent or mortgage. The linen closet, kitchen cupboards, or garage shelves holding "maybes" are spaces you pay for every month. And when you picture your dream home, does that include piles of stuff you never use? Probably not. But you’re paying for it anyway.
The Re-buy It Irony When the “what if I need it” item is buried beneath other clutter, you can't find it when the “just in case” moment finally comes, so you end up buying another one instead. Now you own two (or five, or seven), and the pile grows. If I had a dollar for every time someone finds something while we're decluttering and exclaims "I JUST bought another one of those!"
The Storage-Unit Spiral For some families, the pile outgrows the house and moves into a monthly storage unit, meaning you pay rent twice: once for the space at home and once for the overflow. This often happens when the family goes through a life change like a new baby or divorce. But when you add up all the monthly storage unit payments, you’ll see how much you’ve spent on keeping all those extras.
The Money Is Already Spent Instead of feeling more guilt over everything we just covered, remind yourself you’re only human. And now? What’s done is done. The money left your wallet the day you bought the item. Keeping it doesn't bring your money back; letting it go just stops the ongoing literal cost in space and figurative cost in stress and overwhelm.
Lessen the Load in 5 Minutes
Now that you understand how you collected all this extra stuff, it’s time to take some action, too.
You don't have to tackle everything today. Start small and start noticing the items around your home. When you come across something you’re saving for “just in case," do the following.
Start With the Easy Stuff Begin with low-stakes items or duplicates before tackling anything sentimental. Seeing progress will help you build momentum.
Here are some examples of common household WIINIS items.
● Cords ● Mugs (you don’t need 27) ● Tote bags (you don’t need 27) ● Takeout containers ● Condiment packets ● Glass jars (pasta sauce, salsa, pickles) ● Business cards from people you don't remember | ● Duplicate gadgets: three can openers, four spatulas ● Old cell phones ● Loose keys to who-knows-what ● Instruction manuals for appliances you've already replaced ● Anything stored in an old grocery store bag. |
Ask Yourself a Few Questions:
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When you really think about it, most "worst cases" are a mild inconvenience, not a crisis. Instead of having a pile of 20 boxes to choose from in your garage when you need to ship that return, you’ll grab one from work or a friend. If your can opener breaks and you no longer have a backup, you’ll ask your neighbor to borrow one until you can get to the store.
How Clutter Kicker Helps with WIINIS
You can make much faster progress decluttering when I’m by your side helping you.
So if your 'someday' pile is taking up prime real estate and feels completely overwhelming, let's work on it together:) Contact me to find out how easy it is to get started.
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