If you want to clear away your clutter today and prevent having to de-clutter again next year, start by bringing home LESS.  Focus on decreasing the number of things that come into your life.

Look around you right now.  How did all this stuff get into your home?  Sales or bargains that were too good to pass up?  Garage sales or thrift store finds?  Gifts?  Free offers?  Mail, catalogs, or magazines?

Which source of clutter are you willing to focus on this month?  What could you change in order to bring home LESS?  Think about starting small.  An idea that was shared with me on decreasing garage sale purchases -- go later in the morning.  You can still go to garage sales, but most of the 'too good too pass up' finds are gone. 

Here are some other ways to bring home LESS:

Set rules - I will not bring it home unless...

• I plan to use it within 1 month;
• I only pay cash for impulse purchases;
  
• I've thought about it for 24 hours; or
  
• I have a place to put it so it doesn't add to the clutter.

Ask questions:

• Do I already own one that is still working?
• Will I regret buying this?
• Will fixing/using this be a priority for me?
• When will I use this?

Make a list of the benefits and the costs for bringing each item home.

I've focused on things finding their way into your home but tasks and projects can clutter up your time as well.  What can you do to keep your schedule more reasonable?  I know I will be  focusing on bring home LESS projects this month.