As you grow tired of unused items spilling out of your closets and garage, you purge everything that gets in your way. Lamps from 10 years ago? Gone. Last year's bedding? Gone. That scuffed-up coffee table? Your unused treadmill? The curling iron that doesn't work with your new hairstyle? Gone, gone, and gone! Then the cycle repeats as you purchase updated versions of those items as time passes. Before you get caught up in that buy/purge/re-buy cycle, keep in mind that some things are better stored than tossed.

 Housewares and Furnishings

 Resist the impulse to throw out your old furniture when you bring in new pieces. You can easily re-finish that furniture later for a kid's room, patio decor, or college furnishings. Similarly, decorative items like lamps, vases, and knick-knacks can be updated easily to fit into future decor plans with the aid of a little imagination.

 Recreation Equipment

 Storing sandboxes, sprinkler toys, and above-ground pools for the winter means you won't have to buy them again next year. Additionally, beware of throwing out outgrown, but treasured toys. You'll end up running to the store faster than the kids can work up a good tantrum. Exercise equipment is another good storage candidate; your hand weights, treadmill, or yoga mat may be gathering dust right now, but the next time you go on a fitness kick, you're going to want them again.

 Grooming Items

 Don't throw out your expensive curling iron when you cut your hair short, and hang on to your trusty hair dryer once you've bought a new model. They're life-saving back-ups when your new versions conk out. Old hot roller sets, spiral and flat irons, shavers, and other grooming tools always seem to find ways back into your home, so you might as well hang on to the originals.

 Getting into a store-not-toss mindset can take a while with popular organizers extolling the virtue of purging. But, if you're honest with yourself about what you really will use in the future, you can successfully navigate the save-and-purge process.