How To Do a 'Use it Up' Decluttering Challenge

Do you have items tucked away that you swear you’ll use someday? Instead of letting them gather dust, why not turn decluttering into a fun, purposeful challenge? Enter the Use it Up Decluttering Challenge—a creative way to clear space while making the most of what you already own.

This approach isn’t about tossing things out or feeling wasteful. Instead, it’s a mindset shift: using up items before they expire, get forgotten, or lose their purpose. From pantry staples to half-used beauty products, this challenge helps you declutter responsibly while saving money and reducing waste.

Ready to turn clutter into a clean slate without throwing things away? Let’s dive into how the Use it Up Decluttering Challenge works!

 I’m sure you’ve been in situations where you open the fridge, come across something sitting there for a while, and tell yourself you need to use it before it goes bad. 

Although you may have full intentions of using it up, the reason you haven’t been reaching for it all this time still exists! 

The same actions will always yield the same results, so how do you prevent these items from taking up space? 

That’s where the Use It Up Challenge comes in! 💡 

This challenge creates an intentional plan for how you can optimize the items you aren’t using– because, without a plan, chances are it’s going to sit there until it’s ready to hit the trash 🗑 and you’d wished you’d found a way that didn’t involve wasting it. 

Some people get stressed from typical methods of decluttering because of situations like the inability to find room for things or having to throw things out that could be used– 

Luckily, this challenge allows you to optimally use your investments and declutter your space in a way that helps you feel good!

What Areas Does It Apply To?

Consumables

Decluttering consumables like food you aren’t reaching for can be a great way to positively impact your environment and save money.

The Use It Up Challenge helps you be intentional about using items that are consuming space and at risk of being thrown away- offering you an efficient, zero-waste decluttering method!

If there are food items that haven’t been opened and you have no desire to eat them, donating to a food bank can be an ideal option rather than tossing them out! 

Also, donating to local charities means others have access to food they need, and you’ll be helping others all while promoting environmental sustainability ♻️ win-win.

Fun Fact: food waste accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, meaning even minor changes such as this can help you reduce your carbon footprint 👣 

Products

Note items like partially used gift cards, craft or beauty supplies, cleaning supplies, paint with small amounts of paint left in them, and any other item that might be near empty or not being used. 📝 

For example, those last few drops of paint at the bottom of the can might be enough to finish a small painting project you’ve had on hold for a while. 

Or, that ball of yarn at the back of your closet could be turned into something entirely new if you give it a chance and work it into your project!

Using partially used items will not only help you create space faster, but it’s also a convenient way to tackle zero waste decluttering!

And now… It’s time to learn how to complete your first Use It Up Challenge! (If you’ve done it before, see if there’s something new below that you can work into your plan for decluttering before 2023).

#1. Inventory 

This step involves going through your shelves, closets, medicine cabinet, fridge, and cupboards to assess what you haven’t used in a while or items that are nearing being empty.

For now, focus solely on pulling these items out and placing them on the counter or wherever is best for you to get to work.

Try not to get caught up in your plans for these items. In step one, we’re focusing only on identifying these items and placing them in front of us to prepare for the next step.

#2. Group

Once you have all your almost empty/unused items in front of you, the next step is grouping them.

Grouping them together can be a great way to motivate yourself to actually use them. ✔️ 

Combining almost empty lotions, food in the pantry, or any other item you don’t think you’ll use can help you in your approach towards zero-waste decluttering.

For instance, when complementary lotions or soaps run low, you can combine them all into one bottle or container so they get used up without having half-empty containers. 

Another way of grouping is to combine multiple food groups and find recipes that can incorporate all the ingredients at once– that way, nothing goes to waste! 

You can make a smoothie with fruit nearing the end of its shelf life or a delicious soup with leftover ingredients!

#3. Plan

Now that you’ve established what you’d like to use up to free space, it’s time to make a plan☝️

Being intentional about having a plan helps you transition from having a conceptual “idea” for the items to actually implementing it.

For example, if you decide to make soup from leftover ingredients, you need to find the recipe you’ll use, followed by when you plan on making it.

Or, if certain beauty products are almost empty and you want to make sure you use them, plan to leave them in a place where they’re right in front of you– try leaving them on the counter so they’re easy to grab in the morning. 

Another example is using your small amounts in travel-sized containers to use up while you’re away from home. I tried this hack last summer and definitely used up the small amounts of skincare I had left because it was all I had brought.

The key is to be mindful and intentional about creating a plan that incorporates these items so that you don’t continue on the pattern of telling yourself you’ll use it (which is followed by never actually doing it).

#4. Follow-Through

Once you’ve done all the hard work and you have an inventory of items you’d like to use up, you’ve grouped them together to make use easier, AND you’ve created a plan for how you’re going to use these items, the last step is simple–

You need to follow through! 💪

The challenge here is staying committed and actually doing it.

It’s easy to make plans, but following through requires discipline and a sense of commitment to yourself. 

To ensure you succeed with zero waste decluttering, aka the “Use It Up Challenge,” set realistic goals that suit your lifestyle and schedule. 

At one point, I had a bunch of assorted fried foods my family rarely eats, at least not very often. 

However, there were specific occasions when we bought those items, and as a result, we ended up stuck with the rest of what was left over. 

Solution?

We had an appetizer night of fried foods, where we batched all these foods together and turned them into a themed meal, which was a lot of fun! 

Since we don’t eat fried food often, the best plan that suited our lifestyle was to eat it together. I knew for a fact we wouldn’t eat these foods scattered daily until they finally reached empty.

The ‘Use It Up Challenge’ will help you:

• Save money (since you’re using up what you have vs. buying new)
• Declutter your home
• Be conscious of your environmental footprint

Not only does this challenge help you use what’s already in your pantry or closet, but you can also get creative and think of new ways to use items that you may have otherwise overlooked. 

And, as a bonus, completing the challenge means you’ll have a more organized space!

So why not give it a go? Gather all the items that are nearing their expiry date or have been lying dormant for ages and make a plan to use them up and get started with zero waste decluttering– you won’t regret it!

If you’re interested in learning more about clutter-free spaces & creating holistic spaces from scratch, check out my free masterclass.