Marie Kondo and her show Tidying Up made Americans want to throw everything out of their house! Nonnahs Driskill is a professional organizer in Long Beach and founder of Get Organized Alreadyand it’s her job to help people live with less stuff. She says she rarely says no when someone tells her they’re ready to get rid of something, but when pressed about what -if anything- she’d never get rid of, she came up with a few items.
These are the things she recommends holding onto, at least for a little while:
- The packaging on your latest splurge- Planning to resell that pricey purse or pair of designer heels later on? Then you’ll want to hang on to the box they came in. Driskill explains that having the package increases resale value and makes the buyer feel they’re getting a higher-quality item.
- Childhood journals- Sure, you’ll cringe when you read them, but it’s worth keeping your old journals because they give you insight into moments you may not remember clearly and they also help you relate to what your kids are going through now.
- Your partner’s stuff- Just because you hate your husband’s grungy t-shirts doesn’t mean you can sneak around and toss them when he’s not around. If he cares that much, he won’t forget them if they disappear. Plus, you wouldn’t be happy if he did that to you.
- A lost loved one’s personal items- It’s tough to know what to keep and what to get rid of after someone dies. Driskill suggests waiting three to 12 months before making those choices so you’re more sure about them.
- A container that’s missing a lid- Have some plastic organizing bins that don’t have lids anymore? You can keep those to stash things like a tabletop Christmas tree or tall vases that wouldn’t fit inside with the lid on. But Driskill advises that if it’s been a year and you haven’t touched those things, you may want to reconsider keeping them.