The Clutter Down Under

The Sydney Morning Herald has an awesome article on clutter.  Talk about clutter in life…why the heck am I reading a newspaper from Australia?  The best part of the article to me was their categorizing of clutter. Good to know that its not just we Americans struggling with clutter…From the article:

The items that constitute clutter are extremely varied and depend on the circumstances and personalities in each household. And there are several different categories of clutter, depending on the nature of a person’s “attachment”‘ to things, our research showed.

Emotional clutter has sentimental meaning but little financial value. It could include children’s toys or drawings, unused or unwanted gifts, school or university notes, or the personal possessions of absent loved ones.

Just-in-case clutter has little or no sentimental value but since it “might come in handy one day” it is kept for some time. Examples include old bills or bank statements, tools or stationery.

Bargain clutter is free or very cheap items acquired at sales, from friends or family or “by the side of the road”. Certain personality types tend to be especially attracted to bargain clutter.

Bought clutter consists of impulse purchases that never end up being used. It commonly includes clothes, fashion accessories and electronic items and is strongly linked to wasteful consumption.