Dear Karen,

I have read your book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui several times and have been inspired but I have come to a point where I can clear no more. In the book you always refer to clutter as things we no longer need/like/want but I am terrible for buying in the sales - I buy Christmas presents at half price and store them in cupboard all year! The problem is I have 2 cupboards full of Christmas presents for my 3 children. I feel I cannot afford to wait (nor do I want to) until December and buy them all at once for the full price but every year I find myself thinking, "I can't wait till Christmas so that I can get this cupboard emptied". Then of course in January I go out and fill it up again.

What is your view on this sort of 'clutter' that is not no longer needed/wanted or liked?

Thanks in advance - Victoria Elson, UK

Karen's reply:

I don't have a whole cupboard full like you but I do have a presents box where I keep gifts until it's time to give them. This saves last-minute buying. This isn't clutter because each item has been bought for a specific purpose and will only be there temporarily.

It sounds to me as if you've done enough clutter clearing for a while and you've got your life pretty well organized. Now it's time to use the space you've created to focus on the more important things of life - whatever is of value to you.