25 Things You Don't Need to Bring into 2018

In Marie Kondo's best-selling book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," she says you should purge everything from your home that does not give you joy. This method of organizing is now known as the KonMari method. The new year is a perfect time to get your life in order, getting rid of things you don't need and infusing new energy -- and joy -- into your life. That can mean a lot of things both tangible and not so much, but to start, consider these 25 suggestions for things leave behind with the rest of 2017.

It's great to take your own bags to the grocery store. They're sturdier, easier to carry, and prevent disposable plastic and paper bags from piling up around the house. You don't have to live like a minimalist, but you really only need a few bags. Save three or so, depending on how large your shopping lists generally are, and ditch the rest. Better yet, use them to hold all the other things you'll be purging.

We probably all have a bunch of branded, cheap T-shirts we've received throughout the years. Yet if you're not regularly wearing the shirt in public, you really don't need it. It's fine to pick a couple tees for pajamas and the gym, but the rest are just taking up valuable dresser real estate.

Speaking of clothes, if you haven't worn something once in 2017, it might be time to think about getting it out of your closet. This applies to formal clothing, underwear, jewelry, hats, and outerwear, too. Anything that's still in good shape can be donated, or you can pad your wallet by selling it in a yard sale or on an app like Poshmark.

For some reason, it's really easy to end up with a lot of extra towels. However, you really only need about three towels per person living in your home. You may wish to keep one old towel around for spills (or giving the family dog a bath), but the rest can be donated. (Animal shelters frequently accept towels, blankets, and linens.)

It's common practice for people to give one another bath products as gifts, but this can result in a lot of bathroom clutter. Slim down your cabinets by strategically using up the products you have and not buying more until you're just about out. If there are soaps or lotions you find you're never using, toss them or, if unopened, donate them to a shelter.

There's no reason to have six charging cords to a phone you haven't used since 2012 or a digital camera you replaced years ago. Gather up all your cords, figure out what they go with, and toss the ones you won't need. Keep the rest either with the device they go to, or stored neatly in a container.

Collect all the pens in your house and get out a piece of paper. Try every pen, and get rid of the ones that plain don't work. Then consider all those other desk drawer items you can eschew: loose rubber bands, bent paper clips, binders that don't shut completely, notepads full of to-do lists you've crossed off, etc.

It's great to have a couple containers on hand for storing leftovers, but it's easy for those to pile up. Consider consolidating by recycling those with missing lids (and those lids without matching containers). Even if you're only ordering take-out every once in a while, you'll still probably end up with a whole new mess of containers to recycle in 2019.

If it's not part of a regular routine, you likely don't need it. Toss expired and old makeup, as well as anything you don't frequently wear or that's missing a cap. If you've got a stockpile of unused sample-size products from subscription boxes or beauty stores, you can always give them to friends looking for new favorites.

This is a great place to apply Kondo's ideas about sparking joy. Knick-knacks and toys can absolutely be a way to liven up a space and imbue a bit of your personality, yet they can also get out of hand. Examine each object, and donate the ones you've outgrown, opening up new spaces in your home for new loves.

You may notice that your pets have lost interest in some of their toys, occasionally finding more to love about a cardboard box or a shoelace. Round up the toys you never see them playing with and toss them. Your pets won't miss them, and you'll have more fun using their favorites with them during playtime.

Though they may hold sentimental value, old toys just take up space. Plus, if they're still in good shape, you can always donate them for other children to enjoy. Broken toys -- or toys so out of date they're essentially useless -- can be tossed or recycled.

When cleaning out the fridge, we often forget to toss old jarred and bottled condiments, as they're less inclined to spoil and smell. Give your fridge a deep cleaning, getting rid of old bottles of spicy mustard or jars with just one pickle. You'll appreciate all the space when you've got it back.

You can really clear up your cupboard and counter space by getting rid of redundant kitchen tools and keeping only the essential items. Assuming one does the dishes regularly, there's no need for a bunch of extra spatulas, cutting boards, cutlery, plates, or cups. Consider how many you typically use in a given meal, account for times you may have guests, then pack up and donate the rest.

Appliances that are rarely used are another source of kitchen clutter. For example, are you really using your panini maker on a regular basis? If not, consider using a pan to finish off your grilled cheese sandwiches. It's better to invest in quality cookware you'll use often than to crowd your cupboards with novelty appliances you hardly ever use.

Books are a good way to show off your massive intellect, sure, but they also take up a lot of space. If there are books you have no intention of reading or referencing again -- including college materials, cookbooks, and children's books -- why not donate them to your local library where someone else will get the chance to enjoy them? Phone books, if you still have them, are likely obsolete and can go in the recycling.

Paper clutter is one of the most insidious types of clutter, as it's hard to keep track of how much you have. Kondo is very clear about hating paper, writing, "[Papers] will never spark joy, no matter how carefully you keep them." She advises dividing papers into three categories -- needs attention, keep forever, and keep short-term -- then storing them all in one place. Recycle the rest. If you think you might like to keep something, such as a recipe card, consider digitizing it.

Unless you've got a killer vinyl collection, your old CDs, DVDs, cassettes, and other physical media are probably just taking up space and collecting dust. Consider transferring your music library to digital form, keeping only those films you still routinely watch, and donating what's left.

Consolidate your pile of business cards by adding them to a digital document. It's far easier to search, and will reduce clutter. If you don't feel like maybe your own spreadsheet, several apps—including EverNote—allow you to snap a picture of a card and save its information.

Keeping a plant alive can sometimes be hard work, especially if you forgot to appoint a waterer before you left for the holidays. If you can't save the plant, toss it and bring fresh, new life into your home in 2018.

Unless you are planning to open an ancient-technology museum, it's probably a good time to get rid of old tablets, computers, phones, and other electronics you never use. Clear your data with disk-cleaning software, then sell or donate newer equipment. If it's so old it's unusable, you can take it to a responsible recycler.

You haven't logged into Myspace since 2009. Purge and delete your account before someone finds your embarrassing photos (though download them if you must). Repeat with any other accounts you don't use, which may include Facebook pages for defunct projects or tumblrs you never update.

Just because it doesn't take up physical space doesn't mean a bloated inbox isn't somehow exhausting. Unsubscribe from newsletters you never read, archive or delete dead conversations, and sort important emails into easily accessible folders. This will make it easier to reply to those important emails without getting bogged down.

If you're swiping through pages of apps you never use to get to that new game you downloaded, you probably have too many apps. Free up space on your device by deleting apps you rarely use, apps that drain your battery (you can check this in settings on both Android and iOS), and apps that waste your time.

Maybe 2017 didn't go exactly the way you planned it. Even though Jan. 1 is, ostensibly, just another day, many regard it as a day to start anew with a happier outlook -- and you can, too.