Ready to de-clutter those books and have a great new library? If you aren’t sure where to begin when you are de-cluttering books, don’t worry. You can come along with me. I’ll de-clutter my books, too. We will take an overwhelming task and break it down into easy steps.
One of the biggest obstacles with de-cluttering books is knowing what you should get rid of and what you should keep. Here are some practical guidelines to help you decide.
Do you know the guideline for general de-cluttering of stuff? It says that if you haven’t used it in a year, toss it out. Well, with books, I am a little more forgiving. My guideline is three years. I know that life sometimes hits you, and although you have the best intentions to read, you just can’t get to it. However, if you haven’t gotten to a book in three years, then chances are that it will be another three years and another.Why rent out your space to books that don’t beg to be read as soon as you get home?
Anything that can easily be obtained at a public library should probably go, unless it is something you read over and over again. Best sellers, trendy chick lit books, popular mystery novels, etc. Libraries often carry multiple copies of these books. You can check them out any time you wish. One example from my shelves is Memoirs of a Geisha. I really enjoyed the book, but if I ever wish to red it again, I can find it easily enough at the library and check it out for three weeks or more.
Keep anything to continually refer back to as a reference. Cook books, first aid books, gardening books, etc. If you find yourself grabbing the book over and over again, well then it has definitely earned its keep.
And here is a bonus tip for library maintenance. Until your library gets under control, vow to toss three books for every new book that you buy.
Next up: What can you do with all of those books you have de-cluttered?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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