Before you jump on a “great deal,” ask yourself: “Would I pay to store this in my home?” PHOTO/PEXELS
Let us play a game. Look around your home right now. How many items do you actually love? Not the “it was on sale” mug, not the guilt-kept glasses from your mother-in-law, not the “maybe someday” pile in the corner. Just the things that make your life better or brighter. If you are like most of us, the ratio is sobering.
Here is the uncomfortable truth; we live in a world that treats shopping like a personality trait. Adverts whisper that happiness is just one impulse buy away, while influencers peddle the myth that a perfectly styled home requires constant consumption. But science and anyone who has ever ended up with “bargain” they never used knows better. Once our basic needs are met, more stuff does not equal more joy. In fact, it often means more stress, more dusting, and more existential dread when we realise we have become curators of a museum of unnecessary objects.
The guilt-free guide to letting go
That chipped serving platter you only use when no guests are around? The “aspirational” jeans from three sizes ago? The inherited furniture that has been awkwardly haunting your guest room?
Consider this your official permission slip; you do not have to keep them.
Sentimental clutter is still clutter; it just comes with extra emotional baggage. Here is a radical thought; your memories do not live in objects. That vase from your Paris trip will not teleport you back and keeping every childhood toy will not keep your children from growing up and leaving home. (Trust me, I have tried.) The real magic happens when we honour the past without being held hostage by it. Keep the photo album, get rid of those bicycles cluttering up the garage your sanity will thank you.
Get rid of cheap things
We have all fallen for it: the Shs50,000 coffee table that wobbles, the “cute” fast-fashion throw pillows that disintegrate after one season, the trendy kitchen gadget that now lives in the “appliance graveyard” drawer. These are not bargains; they are bait.
The math is simple but brutal; buying five 5k towels that get spoilt after three washes costs more than one 50k quality towel that you will use for years. That kettle you replace every year? It ultimately costs triple what a quality one would. The modern shopping landscape is designed to make us repeat customers, but we can opt out. Next time you are tempted by a “deal,” ask: “Would I pay to store this in my home?” Because that is exactly what you are doing.
Clutter is a terrible roommate
Think about your most high-maintenance friend. Now imagine inviting 200 versions of them to live with you. That is essentially what we do when we overfill our homes. Every object demands something; to be cleaned, organised, repaired, or simply noticed. The mental load is real.
The life-changing magic of empty surfaces
There is a special kind of alchemy that happens when you clear space; both literally and mentally. Suddenly, you can breathe deeper, think clearer, and actually see the beautiful things you own instead of having them drown in visual noise. Decluttering is not about deprivation; it is about creating room for what matters.
That might mean space for a home office, space to display things that bring you joy or just space to not think about your possessions for once. So here is your challenge; this week, find one thing to let go of. Not because you “should,” but because you deserve better than a home full of maybes. The best interior design hack is the courage to own exactly what you need, and nothing more.
Clutter
That junk drawer is not just taking up physical space, it is renting headspace too. Meanwhile, the things that actually matter; time with loved ones, creative projects, that novel you keep meaning to read, get crowded out. It is no coincidence that the word “clutter” comes from the same root as “clot.”
