The Cost of Clutter
Did you know – clutter and chaos costs us! Living with daily clutter contributes to our stress levels, weight gain and financial debt. We either spend so much time looking for something we can’t find or spend too much money to replace something we already have! To put this into prospective, here are some stats for you:
CLUTTER COSTS TIME
- Getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40% of housework in the average home. @CleanInstitute
- We spend one year of our lives looking for lost items. @NAPO
- The average American wastes 55 minutes a day (roughly 12 days a year) looking for things they own but can’t find. @Newsweek
CLUTTER COSTS SPACE IN OUR HOMES
- 80% of what we keep we never use. @NAPO
- 80 % of the papers we file, we never refer to again. @SBAgov
- Every year, enough paper is thrown away to make a 12’ wall from New York to California. @CUBoulder
CLUTTER COSTS US IN THE CLOSET
- We wear 20 % of the clothes we own 80% of the time. @NAPO
CLUTTER COSTS IN THE GARAGE
- 1/4 of people with two-car garages have so much stuff in there that they can’t park a car. @energy
CLUTTER COSTS MONEY
- 23% of adults say they pay bills late (and incur fees) because they lose them. @HarrisPoll
- 1 in 11 American households rent a self-storage space and spend over $1000 a year in rent. @Joshua_Becker
CLUTTER COSTS IN THE WORKPLACE
In a nationwide survey of 400 consumers…
- 27% said they feel disorganized at work
- 91% said they would be more effective if their workspace was better organized
- 28% said they would save over 1 hr/day @NAPO
This week, look around you. Do you have spaces like this at work or home that are sucking the life right out of you? Remember, the clutter that we leave sitting around us DOES costs us in time, health and money; start saving today!
Do you have clutter you don’t know what to do with or how to start simplifying your life? Try taking THESE STEPS TO GETTING ORGANIZED and/or call us to help you out!
STATS: Becoming Minimalist & Simply Orderly
Kathy Jenkins is the President of Come To Order, a Residential Professional Organizer, Student Organizer, Certified Family Manager Coach, Writer and Speaker based in Richmond, Virginia. She is a member of NAPO and ICD and is dedicated to helping her clients simplify their lives by reducing clutter, organizing their homes and offices, and managing their time. Kathy especially enjoys working with kids and their families to help them learn good organizational skills that will benefit them for a lifetime. Follow Kathy on Facebook.
