by kathilipp | Dec 23, 2018 | Podcast |
On today’s episode, Kathi and Tonya Kubo are back to share more details about the Clutter Free for Life subscription group and why you need it if you want to be clutter free FOR LIFE. Tonya and Kathi talk about the second essential ingredient needed if you want a clutter free lifestyle.
On today’s encouraging show you’ll learn:
- When you start to de-clutter it’s easier to say “no” to the things that don’t really belong in your life.
- Why accountability is essential to the clutter free practice.
- How this program can help you stay clutter free in your heart and home for life.
When you sign up for Clutter Free for Life you’ll receive STRUCTURE and ACCOUNTABILITY to help you live clutter free along with:
- A Binder Cover
- Letter from Kathi
- Feature Teaching
- Monthly Decluttering Plan
- 1st of the month Planning Sheet
- Last of the Month Celebration Sheet
- Private Facebook Group
- Monthly Group Coaching
- Accountability Check ins
- Weekly Goals, and Prizes
Clutter Free for Life starts on January 1, 2019
As a special offer for those in the Clutter Free Academy community you can sign up for the monthly subscription for $18.99 or pay $99 for the whole year.
AND if you subscribe before January 1st you’ll get the special intro price of $79! You’ll also receive:
- Free e-course Kick-Start to Clutter Free
- Clutter Free Bible Study with downloadable book
- And the first 100 subscribers will get a free signed copy of Kathi’s book Overwhelmed.
Thanks for Listening!
To share your thoughts:
• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.
To help out the show:
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe now.
Tonya Kubo is the illustrious, fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter-Free Academy Facebook group. A speaker and writer, Tonya makes her home in the heart of California with her husband, Brian, their two spirited daughters and one very tolerant cat. Visit her at www.GreatMoms.org.
by kathilipp | Dec 4, 2018 | Clutter Free, Finances, Podcast |
On today’s episode, Kathi chats with Deborah Smith Pegues, author of The One-Minute Money Mentor for Women. Kathi and Deborah discuss the importance of women being financially literate. And Deborah shares practical tips for women who might feel overwhelmed by money issues.
On today’s informative show you’ll learn:
- Why people who struggle with clutter often also struggle with money
- What to do if you’ve been ignoring money and find yourself in a tough place
- Deborah’s biggest money tip for the Christmas holiday
Enter to Win!
Grand prize- Win $50 in cash to go towards an outstanding bill, plus Deborah’s book The One-Minute Money Mentor for Women!
Plus, FIVE lucky runner-ups will win a copy of The One-Minute Money Mentor for Women!

Enter by answering in the comments:
“Share your best tip for getting out of debt?”
*US residents only
Buy the book here.
Thanks for Listening!
To share your thoughts:
• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.
To help out the show:
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe now.
Deborah Smith Pegues is a certified public accountant, behavioral consultant, TV host, and global speaker with an MBA in finance. She has written seventeen transformational books, including the bestselling 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue (over one million sold worldwide) and Emergency Prayers. She and her husband, Darnell, have been married nearly 40 years. Learn more.
by kathilipp | Dec 3, 2018 | Christmas, Clutter Free, Gifting, tips and ideas |

Tell me if this sounds familiar, friends. Your family members make the lists of all the things they simply MUST have for Christmas. Each list alone might actually be pretty do-able, but as you shop for those must-have items you also pick up a few dozen “Oh, they’d like this” type of things.
Or, their list is all big-ticket items and they’ll only end up with one or two things under the tree. That doesn’t feel very Christmas-y, so you pick up a few more items – just some little things, really.
Or you get the under-the-tree stuff done and then are left with stockings to fill with…what? Hmm. Maybe I’ll just head to the dollar store and find a cute trinket or two or eight…
Any of that sound familiar?
I’ve had years when each of those have felt true. In my desire to make the holidays special I bought items for those I love to round out the Christmas gifts or to fill the stockings. Then, after Christmas I realized that what I had done was stuck a bow on clutter and brought it into my home. The aftermath of Christmas can be an avalanche of clutter on top of what you are already trying to purge. Enough of that nonsense. I’d like to avoid that this year. No clutter with bows, thank-you-very-much. Who’s with me?
Here’s my plan to prep my home for Christmas and to bring home less clutter, and more joy.
First Declutter
Mildred, a member of our Clutter Free Academy Facebook group, posted a picture of an empty laundry basket in front of a Christmas tree. Above it was their Elf on a Shelf and a sign that said, “You’ve got to Give to Get! Please fill up the basket with toys you no longer play with and I will take them to the North Pole for other kids.” What a brilliant idea!

There are so many things our children no longer love or play with. So many things our teens no longer use or wear. So many things that are taking up space in our closets and desks. What if we took an evening as a family to get the ball rolling to purge and donate before the gifts start flowing in? Let’s put our items in the laundry basket first and show the kids how it’s done!
Buy Stuff You’ll Use – Literally
When we polled the Clutter Free group for some clutter free gift ideas the number one answer to come in wasn’t the same thing, but the same kinds of things—consumables. These are things we can enjoy, while using up.
- Bath fun: fizzies, crayons, bubbles, shower gel in favorite scents
- Cologne or body spray (especially for those “fragrant” teens)
- Make-up and nail polish
- Favorite candy and treats that you don’t purchase often
- Spice rubs and entertaining food sets
- Special flavors of coffee, tea, or cocoa
What if we filled those stockings with things that wouldn’t be around in a month? Some of the sweetest gifts are those we use up and remember fondly rather than having to dust or trip over all the time. This mindset works well for those we are buying for outside our home as well. Give the blessing of clutter free gifts!
Let’s Do Something Fun
Experiences were the second most popular recommendation for clutter free gifts. When grandmas and grandpas ask for family gift ideas, we can share places we’d love to go and things we’d love to do instead of stuff we’d like to have. Here’s a few ideas:
- Memberships for the zoo or a museum
- Season passes to the amusement park, local pool, or state park
- Trip to a local attraction, escape room, or some fun thing you’ve wanted to try
- Gift card for dinner out together, coffee dates with mom or dad, or other special treats
- Pampering gift cards for mani/pedis, massages
There are all kinds of things we could do together that would be more meaningful than another video game or a piece of clothing that will wear out. Asking for experiences can be a brilliant idea. One year a friend of mine asked her mom to give her family an evening at a local escape room from a Groupon deal. She got a money-saving deal and they had so much fun together. It was a clutter free win-win.
Think Outside Boxes
When it comes to Christmas giving, we love to give gifts that are meaningful. I think we need to reframe what a meaningful gift is – sometimes it doesn’t need to be something our loved one keeps forever. Simple and small can be special. Pampering is something we can enjoy to recharge and when the massage is over we aren’t burdened with clutter. Family experiences provide memories we can treasure in our hearts and require no dusting or storage.
This Christmas, just say no to more clutter and yes to gifts that we can consume to bring joy. Merry Christmas, indeed. (Kids, in case you are reading this – I will take a massage.)
Kathi Lipp is the author of 16 books including Overwhelmed, Clutter Free, The Get Yourself Organized Project, The Husband Project, and Happy Habits for Every Couple. She is the host of Clutter Free Academy the Podcast! with Kathi Lipp and speaks at conferences across the US. Kathi is also the creator of Communicator Academy and Leverage: The Speaker Conference, both designed to help writers and speakers become the communicator God has created them to be.
by kathilipp | Nov 20, 2018 | Podcast |
On today’s podcast, Kathi sits down with Wendy Pope to talk about her book, Yes, No and Maybe. Wendy and Kathi share about the times we need to say “yes to God, no to self, and maybe to others.”
In today’s insightful episode you will learn:
- the 13 words that changed Wendy’s life
- why God’s Word is either positive or polishing
- how to find “320” moments in our daily lives
DOWNLOAD Chapter 1 of Yes, No and Maybe
Enter to Win!
Enter to win a copy of Wendy’s book!
Two lucky winners will win a copy of Yes, No and Maybe
Enter by answering in the comments, what is one thing you are saying “yes”, “no” or “maybe” to in your life?
*US residents only
Buy the book here.
Thanks for Listening!
To share your thoughts:
• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.
To help out the show:
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe now.

Special thanks to our sponsor DaySpring.com
This episode was sponsored by DaySpring.com where you can find the beautiful new (in)courage Devotional Bible featuring devotions from over 100 of our favorite writer friends, including our very own Michele Cushatt, Kathi’s co-host of Communicator Academy Podcast. Find out more here
Wendy Pope is a speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries and contributes to the P31 online devotional, Encouragement for Today, which reaches over 1 million readers each day. She is the author of Trusting God for a Better Tomorrow and Wait and See and teaches thousands of women worldwide online through The One Year Chronological Bible. Pope lives with her family in North Carolina.
Learn More
by kathilipp | Nov 19, 2018 | Clutter Free, Freedom |

What do you hold onto that is just pure nonsense? Seriously we all have those things. They make perfect sense to us (sometimes) and make the people we love ask, “Why??”
Today let’s talk about finding freedom in just letting go of them. We’ll play a little game of “Donate, Replace, or Ditch” and as always, no guilt or shame. Sometimes it takes us a while to come to the realization we can let something go. We keep them for “just in case,” for a sentimental reason that doesn’t still apply, or so many other reasons. Friends, clutter makes us feel overwhelmed and isn’t worth it the time or energy we let it take up in our lives. Let’s find freedom together.