How long have you been in your home? For the first few months I was in my house I was in an acquisition mindset had the same problem. After that things kind of settled down and I started making less impulse purchases and considered if I really wanted something, and if I really did, thought about what sort of modifications I'd have to make to my existing space. I still battle clutter. I tend to hold onto books, papers and magazines so have to constantly guard against letting it get the better of me.

I've posted more than once about the adjustment to small. Hadn't thought about the "mindset" you mention. Am a visual person and this is a perfect explanation.

The adjustment has probably taken a bit longer for me than the norm. My house has more than enough room in all aspects, but still can't quite get my thinking going on what I want it all to look like. Will see those who fill every corner of their little houses where everything looks wonderful and cozey. Not cluttered, beautifully comfortable. Then see the minimalist and think I should really go that direction. But in all honesty, I am over letting go of things which have been part of me for years.

Netshound, Do you have the habit of rearranging rooms as I do? This has gone on for years with me, I like moving things around every couple of months. Changing paintings, furniture location, etc. When first moving to this little house, most of my furniture didn't work...specifically the living room and a kitchen table. I did get over this, gave the furniture to my daughter and went on a couple of shopping sprees for the right fit. But, yes, bringing anything new into the house meant I was having to change things around.

My visual has had to change from seeing wall/corner of a large house to the "whole" room of smaller. Measurements of rooms, etc. and a tape measure sit in my car...just in case I get diverted from reality.

A friend of mine imposed the following rule on her clothes buying, for every item she brought into her house, she had to take one out. She found that this worked so well that she carried it over into the rooms of her house. She said it makes her really think about purchases and eliminates the impulse shopping.

Yes, I am the same. Stuff just accumulates. I'm not much of a shopper, but things creep in - a bag of books from the library book sale, the empty jars that are too pretty to throw out (yes, I'm nuts, I like jars for crying out loud.)

I go to Salvation Army or Goodwill just about every month. Partly it is because when we moved (over 3 years ago) we just dumped everything from one house to the other. Last month I found a box that had diapers in it (DD is almost 8!!)

Someday it will all be clutter free - then comes Xmas, or birthday ....

One of the funniest and most memorable things I ever saw relative to organizing was in a Tupperware catalog years ago. The picture was of a pantry - row after row, shelf after shelf of pastel green, pink, yellow, clear cannisters, storage containers of every size and shape and all filled with pastas, rice, crackers, cereal, you name it and it was in Tupperware.

Never in my lifetime would I even attempt to achieve that level of organization. I deal with a certain amount of clutter almost as a lifestyle. It's not that my smaller older home doesn't have some features that went out of fashion for a while and now are back in big demand - counter top cooking range leaving space for cabinets and drawers that would normally be taken up by a free standing range. Built in oven with a cabinet above - with doors removed the space accommodates a microwave. Cabinets designed with vertical dividers for trays, turkey roasting pans, cookie sheets; all the stuff that tends to end up wherever it'll fit. Good closets having raised floors to accommodate drawers for sweaters, etc. Boot drawers in coat closets. All in all, good storage. My problem is putting and keeping things where they belong. I did my major downsizing in my last move - forced to take stock of all my possessions it became obvious that having too much of everything was burdensome. I don't seem to ever have a plan and the few organization gurus I've seen on TV don't seem to speak to me. My biggest step forward seems to have been not acquiring too much of anything new in the last 5 years or so.