If you're feeling overwhelmed by the stuff in your home, you're not alone. Here are seven tried and true tips conference calls unlimited cutting the clutter and getting your life back.

1. Clean out the closets. Most people actually wear only 20% of the clothes they own. That means that 80% of what's clogging up your closet and dresser is stuff you never wear anyway. Set aside 4 hours one weekend to take everything out of your closet, try it on, and toss anything that doesn't fit well or flatter you, and stuff you haven't worn in the last year. The only items that goes back in the closet are the ones you truly like. As for the rest of it, take it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army for Home financing for bad credit hefty tax deduction.
2. Ditch the dailies. Do you really read that newspaper every day? Reduce your subscription to Sundays only, and just watch that pile of unread papers disappear.
3. Stop maxing out on magazines. It's hard to say no to a 4-year subscription when it costs approximately 11 cents, but it's only a good deal if you're actually going to read the magazines when they come. Pick one or two mags you really love and cancel the rest. Then, gather up all of your back issues and drop them off at the local hospital. Their patients and visitors will thank you.
4. Love your local library. While you're on a roll with reducing your reading materials, paw through those paperbacks gathering dust on your bookshelf and donate them to your library. You'll get back your shelf space while helping a chronically underfunded public institution -- and bringing home another tax deduction.
5. Nix the knickknacks. Think of it this way: The more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to dust. If you don't like those candlesticks Spiderman Maeve gave you, take them to Goodwill. Running out of space for picture frames? Pick just a few favorite photos to leave out, put the rest into albums, and Freecycle the leftover frames. Got a thing for porcelain figurines? Unless you have a nice china closet for them, probably best to pack them up for protection -- and to clear some breathing room.
6. Master your mail. I know you're tired at the end of the day, but fight the urge to just drop the mail on the counter and sigh, "I'll deal with it tomorrow." That stuff piles up fast, and the bigger the pile, the harder to sit down and deal with it. From now on, as soon as you get through the door, sort the mail into three piles: Trash, Shredder, and Keep. Then, open all of the Keep items and toss the empty envelopes and inserts away with the Trash. When the tottering mound of junk turns into a neat little stack of paper, you'll feel a lot better about what you find in your mailbox.
7. Tame the toys. And don't think you're exempt from this one if you don't have kids. Pet toys, electronics, and personal care products (do you really use those fancy hot rollers enough to leave them on the bathroom counter all the time?) take up a lot of space. Head over to Ikea for a couple of those snazzy woven baskets to stash Fido's bone. Lose the dozen remote controls and get a universal remote that handles everything. Simplify by either storing, donating, or Freecycling stuff you just don't use that often.

With a little bit of determination and just a few hours, you can turn your stressed-out space into a peaceful clutter-free zone. Ahh, now doesn't that feel better?

Kristen King is a freelance writer-editor and consultant from Northern Virginia, and the host of b5media's www.LivelyWomen.com">www.LivelyWomen.com, a daily blog dedicated to helping women live whole, healthy lives. Visit Kristen online at Lively Women or at her professional website, www.kristenkingfreelancing.com">www.kristenkingfreelancing.com