Honest Simplicity

Garages are meant to store vehicles, right?  It also makes sense to store other items there such as tools, bicycles, folding chairs, and trash cans.  I get that, but when did we decide to designate the garage as a permanent storage space for household stuff?  I’ve seen plenty of garages that can no longer accommodate the cars they were meant to store.  Rather, the cars are parked on the street, rain or shine.  Does this describe your situation?  If so, you are not alone.  Do you want your garage back?  Cleaning out the garage can be an overwhelming venture to take on, but you can start small.  A year from now or a month from now, how would it feel to drive in to a clean uncluttered garage?  Don’t run to the store and stock up on plastic storage bins.  That will not solve your dilemma.  Rather, start getting rid of stuff.  I’d bet you could find 10 things today to clear out of your garage.  We have an unattached two-car garage in which we park our two cars.  I wouldn’t say our garage is messy and I want to keep it that way.  To avoid clutter creep, Dan decided to clear out items he doesn’t really need.  He asked himself, “Could I borrow this tool from a friend if I need it someday?  Have I used this item in the last year?  If I needed this item in the future, could I replace it for under $20?”  Mainly due to his efforts, we were able to empty one of our shelves in about an hour.  Our work in the garage is not done, but it is satisfying to clear out even one small space.

shelf after clearing out clutter

items cleaned out of the garage