Ten ways to control Clutter

This post is not mine. In fact I took it from here.
It was just so very true that I had to spread the word!

Every slip of paper, new item of clothing, or book to read takes a precious piece of you—some of your money, time, or energy. Some are worth their cost; but many are not. Be intentional about what you allow into your home and your life, and make sure each one is worthy of its place.
Here are ten ways you can keep clutter from building in your life:

1. Once you reduce your possessions to those you treasure and use, once you restrict your schedule to essential activities, and once you limit your priority list to only the best, enjoy and appreciate what you have. Use your treasures daily, get stuck into your activities, and focus on your priorities. You’ll get joy and satisfaction from making the most of what you have, rather than chasing the endless high of new things.
2. Use quality as a filter. When quality guides your purchases, decisions, and actions, you’ll feel better and you’ll add treasure to your life instead of junk.
3. Restrict entry to your home and schedule. Set up precise entry points: one in tray for paper; one feed reader for blog updates; one diary for appointments. Give each item attention before allowing it to make its way beyond this point.
4. Be a conscious consumer. Consider the true cost of producing an item, and make a statement through what you buy. You’ll naturally buy less this way.
5. Treat op shops [thrift stores], garage sales, gifts, and freebies the same way you do full-priced items from regular stores. If you wouldn’t go out and buy it, nor pay full price for it, don’t add it to your life.
6. Avoid impulsiveness. Spontaneity can be wonderful, but when applied to shopping, it usually ends up tinged with regret. The book you’ve wanted to read for ages is okay; the magazine you picked up on a whim is probably not.
7. Transform unwanted items into value. Sometimes an item in your home is misplaced. The hot-pink satin slip (don’t laugh, I had one) might now be irrelevant in your wardrobe, but becomes a gem in the kids’ dress-up box.
8. Set up a system for moving along temporary items. Have a spot for items to return, decide how often you’ll destroy outdated paperwork, and throw out old newspapers when you receive the latest one.
9. Only sell the most valuable of your clutter. Giving an item to someone else who wants it, or donating it to [thrift stores], is a simple way to keep things flowing out the door. It’s rarely worth your time and effort to list something for sale.
10. Don’t agonise over clutter decisions. Try using the benchmark principle. If you still can’t decide quickly, put it in your undecided box and get it out of the way. If you’re unsure whether to add an activity to your schedule, ask for time to think about it. When you know you have a second chance to make a decision, you give yourself space to view the situation with more clarity and perspective.

What are your favourite clutter-busting tips?

(What I tell ya?! That extra-organized lady knows how it works!)