#10 Question Your Collection of Empty Containers
A sturdy box seems too good to throw away. So does a glass jar, a gift bag or a plastic food container. They may all be useful someday, and individually they take up very little room. That is how one empty box becomes an entire cupboard of boxes nested inside other boxes, along with jars, bags and containers waiting patiently for jobs that never arrive.
Keep a limited supply based on what you genuinely reuse. Perhaps you regularly need a few gift bags, several jars or a small stack of boxes for posting parcels. That is practical. What you do not need is an unlimited collection simply because each container might theoretically become useful.
Give the category a physical boundary. One shelf, drawer or basket is enough. Once it is full, something must leave before another container is added. Match food-storage tubs with their lids and recycle damaged or unmatched pieces where your local system allows it. Flatten cardboard boxes you truly plan to use soon. Containers are supposed to help you organize your possessions. When you find yourself needing additional storage simply to organize all your empty storage containers, the system has clearly turned backwards.