Interesting de-junking article

[angeli]

I hope that this is the right place to post this!&nbsp; AND that I remember to actually post the link this time... LOL~~!!&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />here it is:<br />http://www.tinyhousetalk.com/how-to-get-rid-of-your-stuff-piling/<br /><br />

 

[She]

I really like the suggestion of doing it slowly. It can be over whelming psychically and sometimes emotionally &nbsp;do everything to quickly. I have been doing one section at a time. The bottom of the closet...one kitchen cabinet...etc its working!<br />Thanks for the article.

 

[angeli]

Thanks Michelle.&nbsp; I like your blog, it's a nice design.&nbsp; Good luck with your dejunking!

 

[She]

Oh Thank you!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />

 

[VanFan]

A friend has a slightly different approach.&nbsp; When helping others declutter, he would remove everything from a room, drawer or whatever.&nbsp; Then he would ask the owner to put only those things they truly wanted there back.&nbsp; Everything else needed to go.&nbsp; I've only tried this on a very small scale.&nbsp; Maybe it helps if he's standing there shaking his head!<br /><br />Vickie

 

[IndigoE]

Just put everything in storage for a while... when you go back and look at it... it ALL seems superfluous! Then when you consider the cost per month... OUT IT GOES, &nbsp;easy as pie.&nbsp;

 

[RVTravel]

Paying for storage is an enormous waste of money.

 

[ttpadilla]

I love this!&nbsp; I started the downsizing process last week, by taking a large outdoor garbage bag into the bathroom, and was shocked to nearly fill the bag with stuff I haven't used in 10 years, and certainly don't want to pack.&nbsp; That's my criteria, btw:&nbsp; If I don't HAVE to have it, don't want to pack it, or it won't fit, it's got to go.&nbsp; Anyone want to get the stuff out of the attic for me?&nbsp; There are spiders up there!!!

 

[Sheryl]

We downsized a huge amount a few years ago when the kids were suddenly gone. We moved into an apartment for a few years. The place where we lived for 14 years with the kids had three bedrooms, basement and garage, all full to the brim. It took an entire summer to unload it all, a little at a time and in emotional steps, but we did it. Even after we moved into the apartment, we were still getting rid of stuff that we realized we didn't need and couldn't let go of before we moved.&nbsp;<br><br>We moved into a small farm house after that and began to accumulate "stuff" again. Not nearly as much as we had with the kids home, however. We had to do another, but smaller, purge of possessions to move into our camper.<br><br>It takes a some time and thought to let go of things. We unloaded our old stuff and replaced it with the good "guest" things that had been put away for visitors. If we don't use it regularly, we don't need it. We don't <em>'Entertain'</em>. That made it easier. Anything the kids wanted of theirs was given to them to keep and store along with all the family heirlooms. They can save them now. &nbsp;<br><br>I'm still a hoarder and have to have a talk with myself occasionally. <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" class="bbc_img">&nbsp;

 

[Gardenias]

@Sheryl
"...It took an entire summer to unload it all..."
Only? How did you do that?!

 

[XFILE36]

Bob did a good article here, I think they call it a sticky:  http://www.cheaprvliving.com/how-to-articles/getting-rid-stuff/

 

[Gardenias]

XFILE36, I appreciate the reminder. I read it a while back. I'll continue to read it often as I clear out.

 

[Theadyn]

I can't remember where I read it, but it was interesting. A lady that lived minimalist said she considered the thrift shops her 'closet'. Having got rid of most of her things she would often hit the thrift stores when she needed something. For example, big baking dishes for special occasion, she would just hit up the thrift shop, then re-donate it after use. When someone questioned her about holding on to the item she knew she would probably need again in the future, she replied 'what for? my 'closet' thrift store holds those items for me and can more often than not be found whenever I might happen to need them. Cheaper than paying for storage and it doesn't clutter up my life.' Makes total sense!

 

[slynne]

Thanks for the article. This has been my biggest challenge. I think I have a touch of hoarder in me. I was joking with my sister about it. She was like, "How are YOU going to live in a van?"

I said that I knew that my van would fill to capacity fairly soon but that the advantage is that if I dropped dead, instead of someone needing to clean out my house, they could just drive the whole thing to the dump and be done with it! Plus the smaller space would limit the amount of stuff I have

Anyways, it is a process and one I personally find to be painful. My progress has been slow but as there absolutely is more going out than coming in, I should be fine.

 

[XFILE36]

Thanks for the article. This has been my biggest challenge. I think I have a touch of hoarder in me.

YW,  I am totally there with you.  I can store and hide things in my home like nobody's business!  I moved to Hawaii and had to get rid of a lot quickly.  Then after 4 years, I moved back to the mainland, I had about 20 boxes of my life.  Now I have about 20 thousand boxes!  LOL!  I keep telling myself how free I will be and feel when I get rid of everything.  I feel so bogged down with all this stuff.  P.S. I've had people say things like, I can't believe you have all that stuff in a 1 bedroom when they see the moving truck,   It's so hard to let go...I will have to rent storage.  What does everyone do with boxes of photos, records, cassettes, clothes you can't part with?  I don't believe in computer storage of pictures, etc., heard too many horror stories.

 

[Gardenias]

slynne, I would need a semi truck with three trailers!
XFILE36, Yay! Someone that has more boxes than me!
I would have a hard time renting storage again. It would feel too much like paying the high interest rates on credit cards, which I will never do again.
Since I was the photographer, I'm distributing the photos to the people that are in them.
I'm going to recheck the value of records since it seems like people are buying them again, though will probably continue to donate cassettes.
It took me a while to let go of sentimental clothes. I took pictures of some of them before giving to family, friends, or charity. I may try to sell some other ones.
I plan to keep only the low maintenance, multi-use ones.

 

[slynne]

Ugh yes. The sentimental stuff. That is the hardest. I have a whole house with lots of walls on which hang paintings given to me by artist friends or purchased from artist friends. The irony is that my smallest and favorite piece (i.e. probably the only piece that will fit in a van well) is the only one painted by a somewhat well known artist and thus the only piece I could actually sell. Yet also the only one I wont need to sell. Oh well. I might try to find a place to store the art. I have actually wondered about the etiquette of it. I have friends who have connections with various galleries and I thought about renting space in one for a "Lynne's Art" show where I could show the works and then sell them to good homes. But since I didnt create any of it myself, I am not sure it would be ok. Oh well, seems better than selling them at a garage sale. 

If anyone has any tips for getting rid of the truly sentimental stuff, I am all ears! I am even struggling withthe less sentimental stuff but much less so. I made a deal with a friend to let her store some things in my attic in exchange for her helping me list things on craigslist. So fingers crossed!

 

[slynne]

Gardenias, I am not proud of this but recently an old co-worker from a previous job posted a 15 year old picture of me sitting at my old desk wearing a yellow shirt. I kid you not, I looked down and realized that I was wearing the same shirt! I clearly need to get rid of clothes!

 

[Queen]

Slynne - my entire memorabilia collection fits in a shoe box so sentimental things have never been much of an issue for me, BUT they are for my wife, so I suggested digital pictures/videos of the treasured items. That seemed to work well for her, and some that she wanted to see more often we had printed out.

 

[Cammalu]

I just got rid of thousands of photos. There were very few of me and I only kept a few.


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