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You are here: Home / Organize / Decluttering / THE 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

THE 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

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Feeling the Urge to Purge?  With the KonMari movement in full swing this year, who isn’t? Let’s capitalize on that urge with a new Challenge! Consider this your engraved invitation to join the 40 Bags in 40 Days Declutter Challenge.

Need to kickstart your decluttering? Take the 40 Bags in 40 Days Declutter Challenge!

WHAT IS THE 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE?

It’s a declutter challenge where you commit to removing 40 bags worth of household clutter within a 40-day timeframe from your home. The Challenge started as a lenten challenge so it typically begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter.

If you did the math, and you’re thinking, “That’s more than 40 days,” you’d be correct! Apparently, we get a day off from lenten resolutions on Sundays, so each week, you’re granted one day off from the challenge.

So in keeping with the 2019 lenten calendar, we’ll begin the Challenge on March 6th and end it the day before Easter (April 20th).

 

WHY IS THE 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE SO AWESOME?

  • If you’ve attempted to declutter before but haven’t made much progress, a short-term challenge like this can be just want you need to kickstart your decluttering efforts.
  • If you observe lent but struggle with what to “give up”, you can focus on giving up your clutter to meet your lenten obligation.
  • You’ll have others who are in the trenches with you (and we all know that it’s easier to tackle a goal with some cheerleaders and accountability partners!)

 

40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE — THE DETAILS

  • What defines a “Bag”? You aren’t required to fill a certain sized bag. In fact, you don’t even have to use a bag. Any size or shape of container is okay. It’s up to you to determine what makes sense.
  • Do I have to donate everything? Nope! You’ll likely end up with items that are trash, items that can be donated, and items you want to sell. All of it counts (even the trash)!
  • Can I work ahead to build in some days off? Absolutely. In fact, remember that you technically have 46 days between Lent and Easter eve, so there are built-in day off days each week during the Challenge. If you’re feeling super motivated and on a roll, you might end up filling up several bags on a particular day. In that case, you’ve carved out some wiggle room to take a few days off when life gets in the way. Just make sure that you’ve removed 40 bags out of your house by the end of the Challenge period.
  • What if I don’t have 40 bags-worth of clutter? If the idea of removing 40 BAGS worth of stuff from your home feels impossible, count your blessings because you are in the minority! You can still join in on the decluttering fun by getting rid of 40 ITEMS during the Challenge period (consider it the lite-version of the Challenge!)
  • How can I stay motivated and connect with others doing the Challenge? Join the Refined Rooms Facebook group and share your successes and challenges with others who are participating! Also, share your progress on Instagram using the hashtag #RR40Bags40Days.

 

40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE — PREP WORK

Will you join me for this year’s 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge? Comment below with the room you plan to declutter FIRST!

Refer to these posts for motivation and practical decluttering tips during the Challenge:

GENERAL DECLUTTERING

 

NO BRAINER THINGS TO TOSS BY SPACE

 

SELLING DECLUTTERED ITEMS

 

 

Feeling the urge to purge? Join the 40 Bags in 40 Days Declutter Challenge #RR40bagsin40Days #decluttering #declutterchallenge

 

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Comments

  1. The timing is ,as Tony the Tiger would say, “Grrrrreeaatttt”! Here it is March 23, 2019 AND I still have Christmas decorations declaring homestead rights in bags/bins, on & under my table and stacked on the floor of my dining room. That’s my starting point. Thanks for the tips and encouragement.

    Reply

    • LOL Jean! You are so welcome. And I love that you have such a concrete plan for starting. That’s the hardest part!

      Reply

    • Julie, the name of the Challenge is coined by others…not original to me 🙂 Again, use whatever container you like to contain the clutter!

      Reply

  3. Wonderful inspiration! Thank you!
    I only wish it would not be plastic bags. Our fellow creatures in air and sea, as well as our water and soil are destroyed and poisoned by plastic by the millions. And each one of us humans already has 28grams of plastic in us, let alone in mother’s milk. So, please, if some of you could use other containers, card board boxes (from grocery or liquor stores) or use bigger items you want to declutter to hold smaller ones, or a coat or T-shirt to bundle other clothes in…..
    Thank you for considering!

    Reply

    • Billy — it doesn’t have to be plastic bags at all. In the Challenge details section of the post, I mention that you can use any container (box, paper bag, whatever works). I love your other ideas for bundling items. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas!

      Reply

    • Awesome Trish! Be sure to join the Facebook group and keep us informed about your progress!

      Reply

  10. I plan on starting in my closet. I have clothes and shoes that I no longer wear that need to go so I can make room for new clothes in the correct size.

    Reply

  11. I must declutter my kitchen first. I am excited about this challenge! Decluttering my house is way overdue and it’s something I keep putting off. I NEED accountability to stay motivated.

    Reply

    • Shaye, I tackled my kitchen over the holiday break (had my Hubby to help me go through each and every cabinet and drawer). Can’t tell you how good it feels! Be sure to join the Facebook group and report your progress each day to get that accountability piece that you need!

      Reply

  12. I have so much Crudder (how my 3-year-old granddaughter pronounced it 18 years ago) that I could do 40 bags a day if I had the energy!! I’m going to start with the clothes in the bedroom…SO many clothes and only one little body to wear them. Yet I wear the same 5 things all the time!! I guess that’s what happens when you retire, maybe… All I know is I have a ‘fashion history’ of my life that dates back 45 years and six sizes. Time to get rid of that cool jeans skirt I wore in junior high!!

    Reply

    • Crudder…LOL! I’m laughing Ninna because I have my own “fashion history”. It may not date back to junior high, but it definitely dates back to my “pre-kiddo” life and probably encompasses 4 sizes 🙂 Sounds like a great place to start

      Reply

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