Over the summer, I did a much-needed closet cleanout. It took me a long time, but I'm finally at a point in my life where I feel content with my living space.

I ended up donating my unwanted clothes, giving them away to friends and family, selling them, etc. The habit just stuck with me. During the whole annoying process of it all, I thought about how much I hoarded over the past year or two. I use to have the mindset that there's no such thing as trash. That I'd "wear it eventually" or "make it work" and then let it sit in my closet for months.

The most frustrating thing about it all is the amount of money I ended up wasting. I had clothes with tags still attached to them. Clothes that no longer fit me. I went through many phases where I felt like something just wasn't my style anymore yet it was my style when I purchased it a month ago.

It was a lot. And for a while, it consumed me. I was constantly stressed about the mess in my room, and the empty bank account from my terrible shopping problem. The one thing I loved more than anything (shopping) was now my biggest problem. My cluttered room was turning into a cluttered lifestyle.

Once I finally came to terms with my problem, I made a change. Now, I only purchase something if I feel like I really need it. If I want it, then I need to be sure that I'll actually wear it sometime in the near future.

It was an overall rewarding lesson for me. I probably won't ever convert to the minimalist lifestyle, but I can sure try to lessen my carbon footprint by not wasting so much money and space with things I don't actually need.