Sorting through 40 years of stuff

[Suleean]

:s I never realized how much stuff I have accumulated in 40 years. Now the task of sorting through it all. 
Looking at trading my car in and getting a van so I can get out on the road by spring.
Oh, but the sorting. I really don't have furniture. Just things.
Words of encouragement would be great. I'm quite overwhelmed.

 

[bullfrog]

You can choose to leave this world the way you came into it, your just getting ready!

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Suleean to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

I understand just keep at it. it takes awhile but you can do it.

highdesertranger

 

[CityWoman]

:s I never realized how much stuff I have accumulated in 40 years. Now the task of sorting through it all. . . . I'm quite overwhelmed.

Me too! All I know is, it's easy to feel overwhelmed when we look at everything we need to do. But it becomes manageable when we focus on one small part of it.

About a week and a half ago, I sorted through a box of... old floppy disks - can you believe it?
They were mine and my ex-husband's (he moved out 9 years ago). Being who I am, I had to check them for any files with confidential info, documents or images I may want to keep, etc. It took me a day and a half - and afterwards I threw them all out. I estimate there were about 300.

Now, when I sit back and look at my apartment, that barely made a dent. But it's very satisfying to know I got it done. That box of floppies taunted me for years and years, but now it's gone and I'm one step closer.

Just pick a small project and start. I'm the world's greatest procrastinator, but I know I can do this when I set my mind to it. And you can, too.

 

[waldenbound]

Hey, I’ll help you sort.

1. Family and friends
2. Goodwill and Salvation Army
3. County landfill

Keep a small camp stove, bathroom bucket, clothes, electronics, two pans for cooking, kettle, bowl, plate, knife, fork, and spoon.

There, all done!

 

[MrNoodly]

I never realized how much stuff I have accumulated

If we're not aware all that stuff existed, then it's essentially already gone from our lives.

I've been in my van for six years. About twice a year I give myself a little test. Can I name everything in that bin, bag or cupboard? If not, then I've forgotten I have it, so, in my mind, it no longer exists and I probably don't need it. I have about a third of what I started with.

 

[B and C]

We spend most of our lives accumulating stuff and the rest trying to get rid of it.

 

[Qxxx]

Suleean, you might think about renting a small storage unit, at least temporarily. Put the stuff in there it's most difficult to part with, and or those things you want to keep but don't want to drag along on the road. Papers, books, mementos, etc. Since you have no furniture, make it a small 5'x5' unit which can actually hold quite a bit, and start moving in the highest-priority stuff first.

Lots of time between now and spring to settle things. Then go on the road. Once year come back, and toss out more stuff. One step at a time. Have fun.

 

[MrNoodly]

Suleean, you might think about renting a small storage unit... Once year come back, and toss out more stuff. One step at a time.

Sort of pulling the bandage off slowly instead of ripping it off quickly. Either way, the point is to get rid of the bandage.

 

[Qxxx]

Sort of pulling the bandage off slowly instead of ripping it off quickly. Either way, the point is to get rid of the bandage.

A total change of life style after an entire lifetime in S&B is very tough business. Breaking the grip the marketers have on you is tough. Buy me, buy me, buy me. Working in stages is easier than going total cold turkey. Also, if you still retain a bit of "attachment" to the old ways, you won't feel so much like you stepped off a cliff when you get in the van to leave.

This being said by a "part timer" who lives in an apartment 2/3 of the time, LOL. My plan however is to have only 10 books left when I die, versus the many hundreds I have today. I acquired those to read after I retired, so that's still plan #1. Going on the road helps a lot because I read more since there are fewer distractions like at home. It's all a process.

 

[GypsyJan]

How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

I've found shelving helps with the sorting. Get a hefty plastic shelf unit from Lowe's and set up a series of open bins on it, then sort by category, dumping the ones for trash or thrift store into bin bags and disposing of them on a regular basis. Perhaps have shelf units in each area (kitchen, bedroom, living room, den)? Also, later that shelving will help you go vertical in the small storage unit if you rent one.

 

[MrNoodly]

I was talking to a friend about the challenge of downsizing for the nomadic life. She made an interesting point. "Sure, there are people with strong emotional attachments to their possessions, and it gives them a thrill to have all that stuff, but there are also people who get a thrill out of throwing stuff away—particularly other people's stuff. The difference is they get to feel pious about it."

 

[Qxxx]

"they get to feel pious about it".

MrNoodly, there are a bunch of people here who would be more than happy to downsize your van stuff over to the "free take" pile. Do you have a dutch oven by any chance?

 

[MrNoodly]

No dutch oven here. But I'm considering a small pressure cooker.

 

[NolaK]

I feel for you. When my mother passes 10 years ago my older siblings had the good sense to run back home when it came time to dealing with things like her photo albums. Not all images were people I know. She was an artist who dreamed of collaging more than she actually did. I cut way back, but brought two big boxes back to Thailand with me thinking I would scan them. Yesterday, I decided if the scanning had not been done in a decade (and nobody had asked to see one of those photos on a decade) they had to go. They were not coming back to America and following me to my new can life. I got it down to a small box I will scan someday (ha ha) - baby steps - and set the rest out with the trash.

Funny, someone took them. How strange to know that somewhere in a So Thai Coconut grove someone is looking at 10-80 year old images of family and strangers - with no context. Surely there is the basis for a move script in there someplace.

Anyway, all that prattling on is made to let you know you are not alone. It is a bit of an emotional battle, but it may help try to find the lighter side of human materialism. I know I feel lighter with both laughter and with each trip to the curb. To my best estimate I have lost 500 lbs this week alone. So let's try to laugh about it together. Call me crazy, but I don't think on our death beds either of us are going to be thinking - "Dang, I wish I had carried that photo (nicknack, widget...) with me until the end." Better to carry memories of our awesome life.

 

[travelaround]

Same here - I'm downsizing (for the second time). I have my van, took my maiden voyage for a month, and now am back here trying to deal with stuff in my apartment. I gave away most of the furniture including my bed, so I'm sleeping in the van (parked at various places) while doing this. I have a month... and then, it will have to be done.

I made myself a "schedule" of little jobs to do every 2 days... trying to corral this giant project into bite-sized pieces. Little steps... all making progress toward my ultimate goal of emptying the premises (and cleaning it too). My schedule covers from now to the end of the month and at that time I'll reevaluate to see what more needs to be done. Right now, I've got so much to do I can't manage to see what all needs to be done!

 

[jim solo]

Have a big yard sale, what doesn't sell donate. Put the money raised at sale into an emergency fund for repair work.
I've done this a couple times in my life, and the burden of worry is gone in due time. I am doing it now as a matter
of fact. And, this 24 ft Motor home is getting roomier as I get rid of what I do not need.

Adjusting to less is difficult at first, but can be done. Soon I will have room enough to put a hot tub in here.

 

[Suleean]

I have a storage unit now.about 3/4of my junk is in a 10x10 unit. The rest is in a small bedroom I rent from my daughter.
I have come to the conclusion that there is maybe 3 small boxes that have my mementos in them.
My biggest problem is I do a lot of different crafts. Totes and totes of material. I've narrowed my 3 sewing boxes down to 1.5. I'm getting there slow but steady.
I have a shelf in my room that has to fit what I will take other than my clothes and van stuff. 
Keep wishing e everyone good luck on their down sizing .

 

[maki2]

A total change of life style after an entire lifetime in S&B is very tough business. Breaking the grip the marketers have on you is tough. Buy me, buy me, buy me. Working in stages is easier than going total cold turkey. Also, if you still retain a bit of "attachment" to the old ways, you won't feel so much like you stepped off a cliff when you get in the van to leave.

This being said by a "part timer" who lives in an apartment 2/3 of the time, LOL. My plan however is to have only 10 books left when I die, versus the many hundreds I have today. I acquired those to read after I retired, so that's still plan #1. Going on the road helps a lot because I read more since there are fewer distractions like at home. It's all a process.

I used to have hundreds of big heavy reference books. Then everyone started posting lots of what was in the books on the internet. Fortunately I sold off almost all of those books before the market for hardback books collapsed. Now with some loss of detail vision I do almost all of my reading from Ebooks. If you had asked me 20 years ago if I would be OK without having my personal library I would have said...no way. But it happened and I don't miss them at all because I have access to vastly more than was ever inside those books.

 

[MG1912]

You can choose to leave this world the way you came into it, your just getting ready!

This is an elegant statement!  I was reading a thread about this very topic on another RV forum, and the advice there was to be "ruthless" in culling.  I will soon have all my worldly possessions on the living room floor of my cousin's house, and the plan is to leave only two medium-sized boxes in his attic.  I plan to sell my few possessions of monetary value, give what I can away, and toss the rest.  Wish me luck.