I used to recommend getting rid of anything you don’t need or want. If it’s something you don’t want, get rid of it right away and then take your time replacing it until you find what you love.

But that was then.

Now that the supply lines are clogged up, who knows how long your wait will be. You might want to hang on to your old item, hated though it might be, until you can replace it.

Here in the U.S., we’ve been used to finding things easily, because there were always lots of sources for new goods. But now, new isn’t always easily obtainable. For instance:

• On our furniture search, we learned that many furniture factories are running at a six-month lag, and in the case of La-Z-Boy furniture, up to a year.

• A young couple we know of decided to buy a new camper. They just learned there’s an eight-month wait for the specific model they want.

• An older couple we know signed the papers for their new house last February. It was supposed to be ready in August. That date has been changed to December, maybe.

Part of the joy of decluttering is getting rid of things right away and seeing the empty space that results, space you may or may not intend to refill. Now that decision is being taken away from you. If you get rid of something you need, like a sofa or a kitchen table, you may have to go without one for a while.