Sometimes I like to target one particular item in relation to the subject of “decluttering.” This is one of those times.

One of the staples that inevitably turns up during my work with clients (besides bags and boxes, overgrown pen collections, and vases) are invitations. Old invitations. To events that happened in the past. Circa 1997, say. Boxes. Of outdated invites.

Okay, now I know you’re saying, “Annie, have some sensitivity!” And “Those cost me a small fortune to have printed!” And “But they’re so prettyyy!”

But here’s the thing: unless you’re planning on sending out another slew of invites to your son’s bar mitzvah that happened six years ago just for kicks and a little “hey, remember this!” ya just don’t need to keep them.

That’s right, I said it. You can let them go. Once again, old invitations fall into the “perfectly good” trap I’ve spoken about before; if something isn’t obviously flawed in appearance or function, if there are no rips, broken parts, or stains visible, people feel indebted to keep whatever that thing is.

So when they open the box of invitations they think, “well these are still perfectly good invitations and they have such sentimental value that I’ll just continue to hold onto them.”

There is no just cause in their mind to get rid of it.

Except we’ve learned already that cause is just when you say it is. That necessity should be the ruler of whether to hold onto something, not the condition of the item.

So here’s what you do:

Step 1. Open up the box.

Step 2. Pull out as many invitations as there are people very closely related to that event (for instance, your daughter’s christening: You might keep 1 for your daughter, 1 for you, 1 for your husband, and 1 for her 2 sets of grandparents. 1+1+1+1 x 2 = 5. That’s right, I can do math people.) You might also keep 1 additional invite to add your invite resource file for future inspiration.

Step 3. Offer those invitations you’ve pulled to the individuals involved with the event. They will most likely accept so as not to be rude.

Step 4. File away the 1 invite you intend to save for future design reference.

Step 5. March yourself over to the framers or your local Michael’s store and get your other invite framed.

Step 6. Hang or display in a prominent place where you can admire it on a regular basis.

Step 7. Recycle the remainders.

If no one involved in the event wants their invitation, if you don’t care about it enough to slap it in a frame and admire it, then you really don’t need to be keeping those invites. Really.