May 2026 - The Myth of One-In, One-Out
- Judy Granlee Gates
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Newsletter Topic of the Month
The Myth of One-In, One-Out
It’s the year of less, with less buying and consuming.
I’ve done pretty well so far. Then I had some travel. I noticed that when I travel, I spend a little more. Not on the travel, but in the preparation and things I “need”. Are you noticing any patterns? I’d love to hear them!
This month we talk about the one in/one out myth. Yep, that’s right, I called it a myth. Because it mostly is. It doesn’t work because it is still centered on the habit of bringing things in!
I have been following my own rules for buying less, and what to do when I do get the itch to shop out of boredom. I have been able to repurpose several items and create just what I want, so that energizes me to continue. Have I not shopped at all? No. Have I shopped a lot less? YES!!
Get my free guide to LESS here!
Decluttering and Organizing:
One in and one out assumes we are actually getting rid of items we replace. While that may be true with groceries and personal care items, it is not for everything else.
When you buy a new thing to replace another, do you get rid of the old, or keep it as a “backup”…this is were we get off track.
Instead of managing what comes in, pause it, and manage what goes out. Create space by letting go of more than you replace.
The year of less is about less consuming, but also less management of stuff, less stuff overall, less mental energy.
Sometimes, the right replacement, is nothing.
Home Edits:
Editing is not just about making a room look better. While that’s nice, I strive for making it work better.
Most rooms take on too much, office + storage + guest room + catch all.
Living room = playroom + dumping ground.
The result is often a room that doesn’t function well if it is not thought out. Can a room be all these things? Yes, with the right systems.
Your rooms don’t need to do everything to be valuable, but they do need to work for you and your lifestyle.
Short Term Rentals:
If you have more than a few short term rentals, you know what I am going to say. They are often (at least the poorly done ones) filled with a mishmash of furniture that the owner had left over, no longer needed so it all ended up in the rental! It’s awful.
This creates tight and awkward flows.
Harder to clean and slower to turn over
Visual overwhelm for guests.
Less is more here, if it doesn’t have a purpose, should it stay? This is an investment, not a storage unit! You need less to manage, take it out!
Have a topic idea? Area of struggle? A fun tip? Send it in and I may make it the topic of the month. Email me at hello@judygranleegates.com
Join in the conversation at Home Elevated on Facebook or Home_Elevated_WA on Instagram!
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