One of the greatest enemies to clutter-free living is a set of credit cards. Those little pieces of plastic might be standing between you and an orderly, uncluttered home. Many of the expensive (and not-so-expensive) items that you bring into your home actually add to the clutter and chaos instead of increasing the beauty.

According to Victoria Moran in Shelter for the Spirit, if you insist on quality and you only pay cash for your purchases, it will take more time to accumulate things. If you live more intentionally in your space, it may be easier for you to limit clutter and make good decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of.

Likewise, if you pay cash and make your purchases slowly, you are more likely to enjoy them for a longer time. Impulse purchases often cause regret later on.

The more you dwell in the concrete realm, the better prepared you are to grapple with the concrete, physical realities of life. Often, you don't need a new fridge to keep your perishables in order — you merely need to keep the fridge you do have in order. You often do not need custom “closet organizers” to set your clothing aright. Instead, what you often most “need” is a few less items in the closet so that you can make sense of what you have and evaluate it effectively.

Another problem with credit cards is that they often impel you to buy things you wouldn't actually purchase if you were paying cash. Credit cards are linked to instant gratification and impulse buying. If you insist on paying cash, you are more likely to consider your purchases for a long time before making them, to really weigh the pros and cons of a given item before bringing it into your home. You are also far less likely to accumulate faster than you can purge, because a credit line is often larger than a ready cash supply. Limited resources can keep us from buying things that aren't really needed.