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Oh man. I'm already retired, but last year I moved from a huge one-bedroom apartment to a micro apartment of about 250 square feet. In November I moved to the coast to an even smaller apartment of about 115 square feet. I thought I couldn't live with less than I had, that I'd downsized all I could. But, it's funny how you keep finding things you realized you didn't really need to keep.
I'm about to toss my box of memories. I've offered them to my daughter several times, and she's declined. Old photos, recordings and videotapes of me way back when I did radio and voiceovers and commercials - in another life. I haven't looked at any of that stuff in over 10 years. I think I'll keep one old poster and frame it. The rest is going into the dumpster.
I also am a bit of a food hoarder. I have a separate piece of furniture that I use as a pantry for canned goods. I've decided to quit storing so much food, and eat up what's in that pantry and turn it into my hardware storage, which will free up other space for things that are more important - I want to get back into hobbies and will need to store my hobby supplies.
It's a constant re-thinking and re-prioritizing of stuff. You need so much less than you think you do.
I congratulate you on getting rid of the China. I'm trying to stick to the idea of - if I haven't used it in the last year, it's outta here.
I can tell you are "old folks." Photos, recordings and videos can be digitized and will fit on a 1" flash drive. You can do it yourself or pay a transfer service to do it for you. I have been ripping all my old vinyl to mp3 for a couple of years now. It's great to listen to all the old music again, some of which was never released on CD. A plus is that I can load it onto my cell phone and listen to it through ear buds whenever I want.
We started downsizing 20 years ago, by banning Christmas presents. Lately we have been dumping stuff on nieces and nephews, like the 2 sets of sterling dinner ware, the blue willow china, and the century old 12 place china set that we haven't used in 25 years. We have "retired in place" and hopefully have another decade or so before we need to move to assisted living, but now is the time to downsize, not when we are too old and feeble to manage it.
A few years ago I started a "family reunion" group on Facebook. It now has 64 members, all cousins, grandchildren, etc. that otherwise would have lost touch with each other. We scan and share old photos that were split up when our parents and grandparents died, current family news like births and baby pictures, graduation pictures and such. One cousin started a vineyard and just released his first private label wine, another just graduated from med school, etc.
Don't throw those pictures and mementos out, share them with others. Once you put them in the cloud, they will be there for a long time.
This downsizing topic seems to be everywhere all of a sudden in the popular media - lots of articles about boomers getting rid of stuff and often how hard it is to find anyone who wants it. We have never accumulated stuff but with retirement and a move within a year, the process of eliminating some things has begun. I list one or two things a week on Craigslist that I know will probably sell. Today, I will list our Champion juicer since it is big and heavy and doesn't get a lot use anymore. It is hard to know about furniture though since we don't know yet where our next home will be.
Totally agree with this. We have tried several garage sales through the years, with limited success in the decluttering department, relative to the effort involved.
My plan for the next couple of years is to take advantage of our children finishing college and starting to live on their own to get rid of excess stuff. Particularly furniture, kitchen items, and appliances. For instance we have about 4 sets of china that we barely use. I already said to our kids that, before they buy stuff for their future apartment or house, to first stop by our place and grab our excess items. I'm quite sure this will work great for our kids, since they are quite concious financially.
There are a couple of issues not typically mentioned when it comes to decluttering that are quite challenging. One is the natural tendency of trying to fill empty space that suddenly becomes available after decluttering. In my case my wife is the one that likes to fill the house with stuff. Another challenge for many of us who are sandwiched between aging parents and children is that, as the parents die they leave their own stuff behind to be disposed of. To those of us on the sentimental side it becomes quite challenging to dispose of parents memorabilia, specially shortly after death. Therefore, decluttering becomes a vicious circle of getting rid of stuff as children leave and getting new stuff as parents die.
In the end decluttering is a continuous effort, not a one time thing.
It is a continuing process. I feel like I've been de cluttering for years! But it is always something different, so it's balanced.
I gave away dishes a couple years ago. The person loved them and it felt great to pass them on.
We don't eat as much, so I pared down my pantry to just one row of items per shelf. No stacking, no putting things in front of each other. I no longer buy in bulk because we just don't eat it anyway. If there was some emergency, I have water and dehydrated food, MREs.
I get rid of clothes all the time. If I don't love it and I've gotten lots of use out of it, or even if not, out it goes.
As some have mentioned about moving, we sold our home and moved into an apartment. Had a large
garage sale (selling 90% of what was in our 1700 sq ft home). Sold almost everything that was out
there. Although we were never into shopping (so there was no clutter) selling what we had was
liberating.
Now we will be moving again (eventually hoping to buy a small home) and as RobertaWa mentioned
I'm also having a hard time about all my art supplies and books since I'm hoping to volunteer teaching
adults and/or children.
The hardest part of the move will be packing our few collectibles (artwork) and kitchen supplies
(pots, pans, dishes, flatware, bowls, pyrex baking pans, small appliances i.e., toaster, blender, food processor, etc...)
The clock is ticking and I'm freaking out.
This downsizing topic seems to be everywhere all of a sudden in the popular media - lots of articles about boomers getting rid of stuff and often how hard it is to find anyone who wants it. We have never accumulated stuff but with retirement and a move within a year, the process of eliminating some things has begun. I list one or two things a week on Craigslist that I know will probably sell. Today, I will list our Champion juicer since it is big and heavy and doesn't get a lot use anymore. It is hard to know about furniture though since we don't know yet where our next home will be.
It seems the market for "collectibles" has taken a downturn lately. I have a collection of cookie jars, started with one I found in my Grandmother's attic, then added to over the years. Mostly Shawnee, which was dime store stuff back when GM bought it, just novelty type stuff. Well, for a time, back in the 1980's---1990's, the prices soared. At one time, they went for $500+. The jar that was my GM I saw sold for $800+ on Ebay! I considered selling mine while the market was hot, but decided 'd rather have a memento of my GM. Face it, that money would have long since been spent I'm glad I have some of GM things, its a touchpoint with my past. Don't be too eager to get rid of everything!
But, the prices for such collectibles varies greatly. Don't think today's hot item will keep on increasing in value. Apparently back in the 80's--90's boomers became nostalgic for their past and bid up such items. We were an increasingly mobile society and wanted to preserve a bit of "home". However, now the boomers are retiring, downsizing, and the new millineals don't have any attachment to our souveneirs of life, hence, we find we can't give the stuff away! I can hardly blame them, they have their own lives to pursue, their own memories to be made. Now, its just, again, a dime store cookie jar.......but I will keep it as a connection to MY past......as long as it's not taking up too much space.....the others, the Shawnee I started collecting, well, that has no real meaning, except I paid waaaaay too much for a darned cookie jar, I will try selling them on Ebay.....they still sell for the right price
As some have mentioned about moving, we sold our home and moved into an apartment. Had a large
garage sale (selling 90% of what was in our 1700 sq ft home). Sold almost everything that was out
there. Although we were never into shopping (so there was no clutter) selling what we had was
liberating.
Now we will be moving again (eventually hoping to buy a small home) and as RobertaWa mentioned
I'm also having a hard time about all my art supplies and books since I'm hoping to volunteer teaching
adults and/or children.
The hardest part of the move will be packing our few collectibles (artwork) and kitchen supplies
(pots, pans, dishes, flatware, bowls, pyrex baking pans, small appliances i.e., toaster, blender, food processor, etc...)
The clock is ticking and I'm freaking out.
Don't get rid of the artwork. If you can't sell it, nursing homes and town halls, etc will sometimes take them for their walls. And keep the art supplies! Those pricey tubes of paint and sable brushes and paper, frames, etc. cost a fortune! Books could go, as info can be found online and books from libraries.
We are going through all cupboards, etc, and getting rid of old stuff, duplicates, stuff I've never used---like a rice cooker, was a gift, I HATE rice!---getting ready for our garage sale next weekend. I've found cooking utensils go, for the right price. Price it to move it, not to make any profit....
Now the kitchen is easier than sentimental stuff, like Grandma's cookie jars.....
my suggestion, break up the sorting. You can only sort and sift through the sentimental stuff so long before your emotions start getting to you. then, go to something with no emotional attachment, like old kitchen stuff, garage stuff, etc.
It is a continuing process. I feel like I've been de cluttering for years! But it is always something different, so it's balanced.
I gave away dishes a couple years ago. The person loved them and it felt great to pass them on.
We don't eat as much, so I pared down my pantry to just one row of items per shelf. No stacking, no putting things in front of each other. I no longer buy in bulk because we just don't eat it anyway. If there was some emergency, I have water and dehydrated food, MREs.
I get rid of clothes all the time. If I don't love it and I've gotten lots of use out of it, or even if not, out it goes.
The problem is, even after getting rid of so much....there's still "too much" when you're facing a move and don't want to take it all with you. I've been decluttering for years, too. But something pops up to replace things that I've given away. My closet is so pared down sometimes I feel like I should go out and buy more, but I do like the thing of keeping just want I need and want. It's not clothes so much that's a problem, it's all the heavier things. If I had to face a quick move suddenly, I'd just freak out. It just seems to never end.
Today I was going to drop off three boxes of stuff to my consignment gal. They won't sell on ebay but will fit nicely into her chatchke shop.
Then we got a phone call from Dh's BFF, he has a buddy who is interested in my old Benz. So I put off the jaunt into town and dragged the battery charger up behind the barn where the 'Bismarck' has been parked since November.
Fingers crossed.........
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I'm glad I have some of GM things, its a touchpoint with my past. Don't be too eager to get rid of everything!
