6 Things to Get Rid of at 35
Here’s something you probably already know, but it bears repeating: Life gets better after 30. While popular culture and conventional milestones have needlessly stressed the mindset that turning 30 is a death sentence, those who lived beyond this birthday (myself included) know that adulthood feels good at this stage. You likely have more confidence and stability and have gained some wisdom and clarity. And as you used the first half of this decade to settle in, turning 35 is a great time to take stock of what’s no longer serving you at this moment in your life.
As you look around your home, you likely have a range of items that have stayed by your side through childhood and those first stages of adulthood. Being this age means that you’re finally embracing who you are, and that can be tough to do when there’s so much stuff getting in the way. Thankfully, you don’t need endless hours to figure out what should get the boot, and in fact, I accomplished my own cleanout over three weekends. Here’s what you should get rid of at 35, broken down into six categories.
Outfits for a Person You’ve Outgrown
Clothes are probably the category that’s hardest to tackle, mostly because there’s so much of it (and so many excuses for it). But now that you’re 35, be honest — really honest: Are you really going to wear the same outfits you wore a decade ago, on the off chance that you might need them? Sure, a few items might still work. But a lot can go.
As I cleaned out my own closet of outfits from the mid-2010s, I thought about it like this, “If I was looking at this item in a store or for a friend, would I tell them to keep it?” This helped me separate the nostalgia from the practicality, and donate pieces that were no longer appealing. So long, piles of skinny jeans! See you later, peplum tops! It’s been fun, shoes for a person who can stay out until 2 a.m. and be fine the next day! Also, if certain pieces no longer fit or have definitely seen better days, it’s time to move on.
Coffee Mugs and Water Bottles
There are two kitchenware pieces that people my age usually have in spades: coffee mugs and water bottles. You likely got one (or both) from a new job, and then another, and then a conference, and so on. Add those to the coffee mugs and water bottles you buy when they’re on sale or just too cute to pass up, and there’s a good chance your cabinet is overflowing. Hear me out: You don’t need a water bottle for every day of the week. And you don’t need enough coffee mugs to open your own store. Be ruthless in your donation pile, and organize the keepers.
Expired Toiletries
In your 20s, experimenting with makeup and skincare — or doing the opposite and sticking to the bare minimum to stay on budget — is expected. But now that you’re 35, your skin is much less forgiving than it used to be and expired toiletries can lead to a breakout. (Or a rash, whichever comes first.)
If you’re into skincare, then now is the time to zone in on the products that really work for your complexion and get rid of what doesn’t. You can toss expired items and donate unopened ones to shelters. Do the same if your minimalist approach has you using up the last of your shriveled bar soap and holding on to an OG Urban Decay palette. You deserve an upgrade!
Tote Bags
Back when collecting tote bags were all the rage, Instagram still had a chronological timeline. These days? We all have a huge arsenal of totes, and not enough space to store all of them. Use this opportunity to get rid of the totes that are dirty, impractical, or simply not to your liking, and keep a small handful of ones you know you’ll carry regularly. And then, from this point forward, never accept another free tote bag. The urge is strong, but the wisdom of your 30s is stronger.
Lackluster Cookware
Cookware is one of those necessities that you delay buying until you absolutely have to. So you accept the hand-me-downs and make due with the frying pan you bought for your first apartment, until you’re nearing 40 and realizing that it doesn’t have to be this way. A pan with a questionable amount of Teflon can be tossed, OK? And it’s probably time to splurge on a set that will take you into the next decade.
If you don’t want to splurge, I don’t blame you: You can also wait for sales or shop secondhand very discerningly. Either way, the funny thing about this exercise is that you will feel very much in your mid-30s when you get excited over new cookware. Life comes at you fast.
Paperwork and Stationery
At this point in your life, you probably know that Smash Mouth was right when they sang “the years start comin’ and they don’t stop comin’ in their 1999 single “All Star.” You bought a notebook in 2015, and suddenly it’s a decade later and you’ve written two sentences in it. Or you thought it was important to hold on to paystubs from a job you quit in 2018. Anything having to do with paperwork and stationery — planners, notebooks, paystubs, bank statements, and so on — can really take up a lot of room.
You likely don’t need to keep every piece of paper from your recent past, and should shred what’s no longer necessary. Doing so will help you keep your mind on the present, including the notebooks you’ll actually use.