Clutter doesn’t show up all at once, it creeps in through “just in case” purchases, Target runs that felt productive, and decisions made on an exhausted brain.

In this episode, I’m breaking down The Target Trap: why impulse buying feels like relief in the moment, how clutter quietly increases mental load and stress, and why most homes feel heavy even when they look “mostly tidy.”

I share how my background in visual merchandising and e-commerce shaped the way I see retail psychology, the Four Qs system I use to stop clutter before it enters my home, and why simplifying isn’t about deprivation, it’s about carrying less without lowering the bar.

We also talk maintenance seasons, decision fatigue, and why it’s okay to choose peace over piles when life is already demanding a lot.

In this episode:

• Why clutter isn’t a storage problem, it’s a decision problem

• How decision fatigue makes “add to cart” feel like self-care

• The retail psychology behind Target, Costco, and online shopping

• Why visual clutter increases stress (especially for moms)

• The difference between buying responsibly vs. buying reactively

• How scarcity mindset (hello, 2020 toilet paper) still affects our homes

• Why simplifying makes life easier to manage, not harder

• What to do with clutter during maintenance-mode seasons

• The Four Qs system: Quality, Quantity, Question, Quick

• Why a house can look tidy and still feel overwhelming

• When it’s okay to donate instead of selling

• Choosing peace over piles, without guilt

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-mom-manual-podcast/id1849315801

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