7 Things in Your Home to Declutter to Start the New Year off Right

Ideally, you do this at least twice a year — whenever the weather significantly changes — but we're all busy and can only brave a trip to the donation centers every so often. But may I remind you that getting rid of some of your clothes means you're making space for new clothes. And that's a motivator if I've ever heard one.

Yeah, I know — it's your junk drawer for a reason. But I'm willing to bet that there are cords to gadgets you no longer own, receipts to long-overused items and sticky notes containing passwords that have been changed six times over in there. You won't regret taking a few minutes to sort through your junk. Heck — maybe you'll even add a drawer organizer!

This one feels personal. But even if I won't take the advice myself, advise I must. How many tabs do you have open right now? How about random screenshots and irrelevant documents flooding your desktop? If your answer to either of those is "too many," then you have some work to do. Considering how many hours we all spend staring at our computers, digital decluttering is just as important as the physical.

I'm talking apps, newsletters, gym memberships, the whole shebang. If you're not using it, lose it! That's precious cash and digital headspace that can be used way more efficiently. Your email inbox will thank you just as much as your wallet will.

Ohhhh yeah. This one hits, doesn't it? If it doesn't have a cover that fits, please throw it in the donate pile. (Or even the trash, depending on how red-sauce-stained it is.) Oh, and those takeout containers you always wash out and clean "just in case"? Those can go, too — trust me, you'll replace your stash in no time. DoorDash isn't going anywhere.

This goes back to the closet mindset: Make room on your bookshelf for more juicy reads! I'm one for ~curating~ my book collection, but everyone has some novels they either DNF'ed, were given as a misguided yet well-intentioned gift, or have duplicates of. Donate those titles to your local library and then swing by Barnes & Noble as a reward.

Makeup expires quicker than you think, and while it can be quite an undertaking to replace a lot of beauty products at once, your skin will definitely thank you in the long run. Plus, there are no doubt some lipsticks or blushes lying around that you wore once before deciding that the color didn't suit you. Thin it down to those tried-and-true products you reach for on a daily basis.