Whether you are joining the thousands of others who are currently doing the 30 Day Minimalism Game for the month of March (details in the video below) or you simply want to live more minimally, here are 15 things you can get rid of today if you’re struggling. 

Credit: Annette Riedl/DPA/PA Images

Credit: Annette Riedl/DPA/PA Images

  1. Shoes: Check out your entire shoe collection and seek out the pairs you haven’t worn in the last year. While we have been in lockdown, there may be pairs you would only wear on special occasions so you may have to cast your mind back over two years to figure out if they are a keeper or not. The easiest way to decide what to hold onto and what to get rid of is to imagine yourself going out tonight- which pairs would you select and which would you leave behind because they are uncomfortable or well worn? 
  2. Shoe accessories: This could be anything from inner soles to shoe horns or leather polish. Check out your collection of shoe maintenance products and see what has dried up, past its best or you just don’t use anymore. 
  3. Ice Cream: Perhaps you bought a tub that you never really liked the taste of, so it’s been lurking in your freezer for months and has got freezer burn on it now. If so, defrost it, rinse it out and recycle the packaging, leaving space for the things you actually want to eat. 
  4. Ice cream accompaniments: While you are in your kitchen, take a look at your store of things that traditionally go with ice cream. Do you have any out of date ice cream cones, sprinkles or sauce? If the answer is yes, these need to go. No one wants an ice cream with mouldy toppings. 
  5. Pears: Tinned pears or fresh pairs might be sitting in your cupboard or fruit bowl never to be eaten. If the fresh ones are still acceptable, why not pass them on to your neighbours or a family member and if they are tinned could you drop them into the food bank basket on your next supermarket shop? 
  6. Contact lenses: If you have any contact lenses that are out of date or you simply don’t wear them anymore because you prefer wearing glasses, recycle what packaging you can and bin the rest. 
  7. Cans of paint: Most of us keep cans of paint for those 'just in case' moments. Perhaps a wall might need touching up and you want to keep the colour consistent- but if you have cans containing paint from previous houses or you don’t enjoy the colour anymore, take these all to your local recycling plant and enjoy the space they leave behind. 
  8. Knapsacks: Perhaps you were a keen hiker at one stage of your life but now you no longer enjoy it or aren’t able to anymore- if so, why not try and sell any unused knapsacks online to make some money back on your initial purchase? 
  9. Pins: These could be wall pins or sewing pins- take a look at your collection and discard any that are broken and see what you have left. If you have more than you could ever need for pinning clothes or things to the wall, reduce this number down to a more manageable amount. 
  10. Apps: We’ve all done it- downloaded an app that we thought we would use religiously- only to have it clutter up our screens. Take each app in turn and think about the last time you used it. If you can’t remember or find no value in having it anymore, delete it. You can always download it again if you change your mind- but for now- enjoy an empty home screen!  
  11. Atlas: An atlas is one of those books that most people keep but rarely- if ever use it. If you have such a book and you never refer to it- let your bookshelf breathe a sigh of relief and donate it to your local charity shop. 
  12. Globe: Perhaps you have a giant globe that you use for decoration and it’s getting in the way or a light up one in your child’s bedroom that they never use anymore. If this sounds like your home, it might be wise to list these items to sell or give them away to someone who will enjoy looking at them.
  13. Gardening tools: During lockdown was the perfect opportunity to do some gardening, so whatever you didn’t reach for over the year of being stuck at home- you probably won’t now you can go out and do other things. Why not offer them as a job lot on a second hand site or give them to someone just setting up their home? 
  14. Earplugs: These little sound blockers have a habit of multiplying once you bring a single set into the home. Keep just those you need and any that are split or dirty need to leave your space immediately as they are not safe or hygienic to put into your ears. 
  15. Things that claim to make you thin: This might include diet shakes or bars, supplements that promise to suppress appetite or undergarments that suck everything in. If they haven’t worked for you in the past, made you feel poorly or they are extremely uncomfortable to wear, it’s best for your mental health if you part ways with these items. They only remind you of failed diet attempts and unrealistic expectations.

RELATED: Minimalism: 13 Things to declutter on the 13th March 2021

Coconut beauty products: Coconut has been a very popular ingredient in a lot of lotions and potions in the last year, so check your collection and see if there is anything that contains it and has exceeded its recommended use by date. If you’re not already aware, beauty products have a symbol that looks like a little pot on the back of the packaging that says 6 or 12 months for example, so if you’ve had a coconut product for years, chances are it’s well overdue for the bin! 

by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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