Ask The Real Mr. Organized / How do I keep household backstock from becoming overstock?
Decluttering & organizing 101

How do I keep household backstock from becoming overstock?

Mr. OrganizedMr. Organized's Answer

Stop buying what you do not need or will not use in the reasonably near future.

Decide what deserves space based on actual use, condition, meaning and the room you have—not just what it originally cost. Give anything leaving the house a specific next destination and a date to move it along.

My final check is practical: can you find what you need quickly, put it back just as easily, and see when the space is getting full? If not, simplify the categories or move the storage closer to where you use it. An organizing system should make life easier, not become another chore.