I admit it, I save things. There I said it, are you happy?

At any rate, I’m not as bad as I used to be. I used to save all my newspaper clippings. Not just the part with the story printed that I penned, but the entire edition – advertisements and all. A few years ago, I saw the error of my ways and went through the plastic storage tubs and whittled down my collection to a single tub.

I’m not certain why I felt the urge to save my clippings like that. But I decluttered my basement a bit and felt better about myself for doing it.

That was a good first step. But if I really want to feel accomplished, there are a lot of other things I could declutter as well, such as:

Unused or old power cords and chargers. I tossed the ones that have yellowed or frayed at all. There doesn’t seem to be the need for as many of them as there was a decade ago. Why keep them all?

Extra hangers that are taking up space should go. That sweater that you think you are going to lose 10 pounds and get back into? Nah, you aren’t going to ever wear it again. It’s got to go and take the hanger along with it.

I bought a box of nice hangers at Bed, Bath and Beyond (before all their financial troubles) and swapped out all my hangers. I cleaned out my closet, keeping only the number of items that matched the hangers I had. If I wanted something new, I had to remove something old.

Shoes that are worn out or no longer used. At least I have an excuse for holding onto footwear. I have wide feet and have trouble finding things that fit. That doesn’t give me the excuse to hold onto my ninth-grade basketball sneakers from 1984. (They were unused in a box. I broke my leg running cross country and didn’t play that year. Don’t judge me!)

Old towels and linens. I purged my linen closet a few years ago by buying all new towels and linens, but I had a lot of old stuff that was bleached in places and mismatched.

Magazines and newspapers that you’ve read. We’ve already touched on this one. I’d keep the online version, but what happens if it gets replaced by a new story?

Expired food from fridge or cupboard. I’ll toss it if it’s expired and curse myself out for wasting it. My problem is if I see a good deal at the grocery store. I’ll either buy more than I need or buy extra so I don’t need to go back. It sits and goes to waste. Such is the life of a single bachelor.

CDs and DVDs. My collection of CDs is collecting dust because my new SUV doesn’t have a CD player. I have a DVD player, but why use it when I can stream the same shows and movies.

Books that you’ve already read. I own an extensive collection of hardback books, mostly of the sports variety. I’ve probably read half of them. I boxed up most of my paperbacks and donated them to the library a few years ago.

Unnecessary paperwork. I used to keep receipts in case I needed them. Now, I don’t keep anything. Sometimes that is to my detriment.

Unused sports or exercise equipment. I sold my golf clubs to a former co-worker who wanted to take up the sport and my treadmill to another who thought she would exercise. Check this one off my list.

Old candles that haven’t been used in years. Get two rambunctious cats and you can cross this one off, too. I don’t have a single candle in my house anymore. They’ve been tossed out or regifted. Otherwise, my house might have burned to the ground by curious pets playing with fire.

Outdated décor items. I had some holiday stuff that I either didn’t want or couldn’t put out (see cats from previous topic), so I boxed it up and took it to my office. Now, I can enjoy it throughout the holidays and it’s safe from my four-legged friends.

Almost everything in your junk drawer. Can I keep more items if I have more than one junk drawer? I might have one big one and two smaller ones. I do try to sort through them routinely. The big one is surprisingly organized, but it might be time to give the smaller ones some attention.

At any rate, I feel more decluttered than when I moved into my house in 2001. I know I have fewer items, which is at least a moral victory. And after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I’ll get back to purging things again when the time is right.

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Greg Williams is a reporter and Weekend Editor for The Sentinel. A Mifflin County native, he has been writing for The Sentinel since 1991. His column, “Virtually Home,” appears regularly.