11 Things People Who Have Their Lives Together Never Keep In Their Homes
These people make sure their homes match their habits.
Roman Samborskyi | Shutterstock Being someone who has their life together doesn't mean your home has to be perfectly polished or look like an IKEA showroom. It's more about being able to create a space that makes your life feel just a bit easier and lot less stressful. One of the easiest ways to tell if someone's got it together is looking at what they choose not to keep in their home. Whether it's unpaid bills or empty boxes, these are just a few of the things people who have their lives together never keep in their homes.
It's not about them trying to make everything picture-perfect, because that's not only unrealistic but also exhausting and can end up overwhelming you even more. Rather, it's about making sure that everything inside of it as purpose and belongs in the space. From making sure they're cleaning out expired food from their fridge or getting rid of items that are stained, they can actually relax when they walk through the door, rather than feel as if their home is yet another project that needs to be tackled.
Here are 11 things people who have their lives together never keep in their homes
1. Dirty dishes in the sink
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Someone who has their life together refuses to have dirty dishes in their sink for even a second. The minute they get done cooking, the dishes are cleaned and immediately put away. The fastest way for a home to feel cluttered is when there's dishes piling up in the sink.
It might not seem like much when you have a few cups or utensils that you say you'll get around to washing, but soon that can quickly turn into the sink overflowing and suddenly, you have no clean dishes.
Most people tend to find washing dishes to be their least favorite chore, though. According to a survey from DishFish, participants admitted they would rather do just about any other chore than wash dishes by hand, even toilet cleaning.
People who make sure to stay on top of their business know that the best way to avoid the clutter in the kitchen is to wash as you go. That way, you're not having to stay in the kitchen for a long time afterwards making sure the dishes are put back where they need to be.
2. Empty water bottles
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At first, it might not seem like that big of a deal to have empty water bottles around your house, but for people who have their lives together, they know that's the ultimate sign of unnecessary clutter. Once they're finished drinking a water bottle, it's immediately being recycled in the same way that they do to empty boxes lying around.
They know more than anyone that water bottles can accumulate. You put an empty one on the counter and soon a plethora more will follow. It's not that these individuals are trying to be obsessive but that they want their place to feel cozy and empty water bottles don't give cozy at all.
3. Unpaid bills on the counter
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Having unpaid bills on the counter might not seem like that big of a deal at first, but in reality, it can be the quickest way to make your home feel stressful. Every time you walk through the door, your eyes immediately go to the stack of unopened envelopes that you know need to be dealt with and suddenly you know you can't even relax in your home until that's taken care of.
However, this is one of the things people who have their lives together never keep in their homes. Unfortunately, for a lot of individuals, they aren't able to pay their bills on time, meaning they're usually just sitting around waiting to be taken care of. Nearly 17% of Americans aren't able to pay all their bills on time, according to the Federal Reserve.
Those who have their lives together know that any type of clutter, especially unpaid bills, only further hurt your mental well-being. Most of the time, these individuals tend to have a system. They'll pay their bills as soon as they arrive online and the second that the bill is paid. If people pay their bills through the mail, once the bill is paid it'll even go in a designated folder so it's out of sight once it's taken care of.
4. Worn-out bedding
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Some people might tell themselves it's fine that their sheets might be thinning or their comforter is a little lumpy. They might not even take a second glance at their pillowcases, definitely having seen way better days. But people who have their lives together know that their bed isn't just where they sleep, it's where they're able to actually recharge.
So, that means they deserve to lay on sheets that aren't scratchy and haven't been replaced in several years. Holding onto old bedding just isn't something these individuals are willing to do. Once they can tell that their rest is being disturbed because of their worn-out bedding, they'll quickly replace them with better quality ones.
5. Faded towels
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In the same way that these individuals care about making sure they don't have worn-out bedding, the same can be said for faded towels as well. It's just one of those things that, once you notice it, you can't just unsee it. When people who have their lives together have guests over at their house, they want to be able to give them fluffy, soft towels not towels that have definitely seen better days.
It might not be a huge detail to other people, as long as the towels are clean. But keeping faded towels in their bathroom for people who like to have everything put-together can drive them crazy. They would rather go out and buy a whole new set of towels than keep ones that don't match the vibe of their house.
6. Expired food
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Expired food in the fridge is another of the things people who have their lives together never keep in their homes. They know it isn't good for keeping the peace of their home, and are constantly making sure to go through the contents of both their fridge and freezer, as well as their pantry, at least once a week to ensure that nothing is rotting.
In general, having expired food in your home isn't good for both your health and mental state. For most people, cleaning out their fridge isn't quite a priority. Only one in four people who responded to a survey from ImproveNet said they haven't cleaned their refrigerator in six or more months.
It's about keeping things clean, and making sure your home is welcoming and calm, not some kind of safety hazard. These individuals tend to not let things linger at all. They clear it out regularly, making sure their kitchens are functional and actually enjoyable to be in. Because no one enjoys walking into a space and smelling something foul but not being able to tell where it's coming from.
7. Receipts from forever ago
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Sometimes we don't think about taking a receipt and just stuff it in our pockets. Once we're home, we might just toss the crumpled up receipt onto the counter and just end up forgetting about it. But those who have their lives together make sure to either put their receipts in a specific folder in their home in case they need to access it later, or they just throw it out altogether.
"Put papers in that box for six months — or even a year, if you're really worried — and see if you ever need to retrieve anything from that box. If you don't, get rid of the box — and importantly, don't re-open it first, or you'll re-ignite the whole problem of uncertainty," suggested happiness expert Gretchen Rubin.
It's rare that you'll walk into their home and find all of their old receipts just tossed haphazardly around their space. By making sure that every paper has a place to be, they're able to avoid their home feeling even the slightest bit messy and out-of-order.
8. Cups with stains
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If something that these individuals use every day looks dirty or even a little bit worn, it definitely affects how they feel about both their space and themselves. Those who have their lives together will never keep cups with stains in their house because it's not only gross to sip from or give guests to drink out of, but it's also about being able to maintain the things that's in their home.
No matter how clean everything else might look in your kitchen, the sight of stained cups can really ruin the vibe of the entire room. These individuals tend to care about things like this because they know their home usually reflects their own habits as well.
9. Empty boxes
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A survey commissioned by the Paper and Packaging Board, in collaboration with Kelton, found that nearly 49% of respondents didn't know that boxes should be emptied and broken down for pick-up, while 29% of people didn't know how to properly break down and recycle their boxes.
For those who have their lives together, they not only make sure to understand how recycling works, but they also refuse to keep a plethora of empty boxes lying around their space as well. Once a box is empty, it goes straight to the recycling.
Empty boxes also don't give a welcoming vibe at all. It just makes your place look unfinished and messy, even if everything around it is tidy and put away. Being able to eliminate empty boxes can make the biggest difference, even if it might not seem like that at first.
10. Cheap decor that feels ugly
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People who prioritize having their life together want their home to feel as welcoming as it possibly can be. That means not hanging up tacky wall decor or artwork around their space and instead being able to invest in pieces that make sense.
"Being around and experiencing familiar things generally makes us comfortable and boosts our mood. We prefer to look at art we find familiar, for example," environmental psychologist Sally Augustin explained.
While some people don't care about these things and have no problem buying cheap decor, these individuals know that feeling content in their home means giving it a bit of personality. It's not as if people who have their lives together go out and spend their entire paychecks on decor, but they're able to curate their space with a bit of intention. They choose pieces that mean something to them.
11. Trash in hidden spots
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Rarely will you find trash littered everywhere, which is one of the things people who have their lives together never keep in their homes, rather than in its designated area. They won't just shove trash under their beds or bury them in their closet.
They know that even if no one else can see the mess, it doesn't just make it disappear entirely. Not only is it just incredibly lazy but it also means you're just avoiding the obvious. Just because you sweep something under the rug, literally, doesn't mean it's suddenly no longer there anymore and you can just go about your day.
Your home really does feel lighter when every corner, even the ones you can't see, are clean and trash-free. People who have their lives together know that and make sure that they're not leaving any stone unturned.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
