The rise of big-box stores has fueled a tendency to stockpile, which compounds clutter. The trend is so pervasive that close to half of the families kept a second refrigerator or freezer to accommodate all the extra food. Some even had a third refrigerator. With bulk-buying, even cleaning products can contribute to the crush of clutter, CELF researchers found.

"We wish parents standing in line at Costco or elsewhere could project the future of a purchase once it arrives home and becomes part of the sea of clutter that demands seemingly endless housework," said co-author and CELF director Elinor Ochs.

 

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Reaad Trouble in paradise: Challenges faced by middle-class families in Los Angeles