Nothing is quite as liberating as thoroughly getting rid of stuff. Eliminating excess clutter will leave your place feeling more spacious and your mind more at ease.
Although you likely won’t miss most of the items you throw away (or even remember them!), there are a few things that may leave you with a creeping sense of regret should you get rid of them. When trying to minimize clutter, it’s important to thoughtfully weigh each item’s worth.
While there’s a lot to gain by reducing your dependence on stuff, there are a few things you should never toss just for the sake of creating space.
Important Documents
Though most piles of papers can be fed to the shredder almost immediately (especially that big pile of junk mail), there are some documents you’ll need to keep throughout your life. These include personal documents, such as your birth certificate, Social Security card, health records, marriage license, and the deed to your home. Once disposed of, identifying documents can be very difficult to replace, so save yourself a headache later and hang onto them.
Tax documents and other financial papers usually should be kept for at least seven years before discarding. These records are essential when starting a new job, applying for a loan, visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles, or searching for a new house or apartment.
