Clutter is a common problem in our modern society. We’re taught from a young age to get a good education and work hard so we can make more money and buy more things. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. The better consumers we are, the stronger the economy is. Plus, many of the things we buy enrich our lives and make our lives easier. Unfortunately, there’s a catch to being a good citizen and buying plenty of household goods and other items. Our homes become cluttered. Fortunately, there are ways to free yourself from clutter, without having to abandon your healthy interest in consumption. Here’s what you can try out:

• Ditch what you don’t use – That exercise machine that was supposed to help you flatten your abs sure does take up a lot of space, and it hasn’t made much of a difference for your midsection. Every couple of months, you should try to get rid of five or six things you don’t use very often and don't plan to use often in the future. This will help you make room for the new things you buy and help you prevent the overcrowding of stuff in your home.

• Decorate lightly – Decorating your home can be a lot of fun, but it’s best not to over decorate. Over decorating can cause your home to appear cluttered and it can compromise the overall design appeal of your home. Stick to a few, tasteful decorations in each room of your home and resist the urge to cover your walls with paintings and fill every nook and cranny with ceramics.

• Find a place for your antiques, collectibles, and valuables – The antique furniture you inherited from your great aunt may be beautiful, but it also may night fit comfortably in your home without creating clutter. Consider storing excess antiques, collectibles, and valuables outside of your home. You may want to store them in your garage or in a self-storage unit, for instance. Or you may want to part with some of them. Consider the sentimental value of these items. If you’re not particularly attached to them, you may be able to sell them to an antique dealer for a pretty decent price.

• Make better purchasing decisions – There’s no need to stop buying things entirely, but you should consider slowing down a bit if you’ve become a shopaholic. Buying too many things in a short period of time will inevitably result in clutter. Curbing your purchasing habits will help you keep your house under control and organized, and it will save you some money.

Author’s Bio: Lisa is blogger at Self Storage Deals who writes about home organization, renovation, and antique collecting. She is professionally involved in the storage industry and helps organize storage units all over the country, including storage units in Virginia Beach and storage units in Tallahassee.