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Wow great responses everyone!!! And interesting article. I don't think I mentioned in my original post that a few items are personal family things...but I have no heirs, my parents are gone, so it'll be just in my heart what happens if I get rid of them. But in reality I don't "love" them...I love the person who owned them before me. I do like the idea of de-cluttering and cleaning but one thing I'm worried about is moving to a new city, far away from where I grew up for 40 years, and not feeling like it's "home". I don't want it to feel like a hotel. But, I think I may keep a few small items to have around to make it feel like home more. Simple things like walking into a bedroom at a new place in a new city with a new bed, but with the comforter you've used for years may make it feel a little more like home.
And the family heirloom thing is kind of funny...when my grandfather passed I was given a list of items in his home and I could choose what I wanted. Back then I had a big house and married and thought I was going to stay there forever so I asked for portraits. I have some beautifully framed old family portraits that I've been lugging around and stashing in closets! I think I will keep one, take the frame off and keep the canvas but get rid of the rest.
Thanks everyone...is so great to hear people's stories. After getting some online quotes from Pods, U-haul, Sams and UBF I'm thinking I'll just call Good Will! And to the person who said to think about the people who could use my things...great thought! I have sold things on CL for next to nothing, but the people who buy them are soooo greatful!!! I think it'll do me some good to help others' out with things they need!
I think it depends will it cost more to buy all new things, or more to move what you've already got? I don't consider myself over materialistic, but I moved and I brought everything with me the last time I moved. I had bought a whole apartment full of new furniture less than a year before I moved and I wasn't willing to take the loss and buy all new things again, so I moved it with me. I drove it all across country in a U-Haul towing my car behind me. Now that was an experience!
a few items are personal family things...but I have no heirs, my parents are gone, so it'll be just in my heart what happens if I get rid of them. But in reality I don't "love" them...I love the person who owned them before me.
Idea:
Take lots of photos of the crapola you get rid of. I have a file on my computer of the craigslist, ebay, freecycle, etc., ad photos--and occasionally I look at them and think "holy moly I had a lot of junk!".
But--I know someone who bought one of those digital picture frames and loaded all the special pics of the family heirlooms she gave away. It sits up on the mantel and rotates all the pics--but my friend didn't have to pay 5k to move the big items around with her, and could get a much smaller place that was cheaper in the long run too. She says "I got rid of the bulk and the albatrosses, but not the sentiment". Totally makes sense.
I do something similar with my kid's artwork. Scan it, save it, recycle the original and the idea is to load the files to a digital frame one of these days. Then I don't have boxes and boxes of junk to hand off to her when she's grown, and I don't have to figure out a place to stick them all in the meantime!
Keep what you love, toss what you dont, but remember that buying all new furniture costs a lot more than moving it. I suggest having a moving company come do a free quote and then figure out the price of buying all new stuff.
I have moved cross-country three times now and have gotten rid of a ton of stuff. But right now I have to buy all the big items (bed, sofa, dresser, etc) which is going to add up to quite a bit.
Not always. It would have cost a LOT more to move my furniture that I didn't love than it cost for me to buy from a consignment store at my new place. The quality of the stuff I have now is much better, too. My old stuff wouldn't have fit right in my new place either.
As for sentimental value, your memories are in your MEMORY, not in the things themselves. Take a picture and donate it or sell it if it is too much to bring. It might be hard at first, but it gets easier.
I shipped 13 apple boxes of stuff to myself UPS. It cost about $400 to do so, but I paid extra per box to have them pick them up at my house. Worth for me in the long run.
I basically said "this item is going to cost $50 to ship, or I can buy new for $25" NOT worth it. I love not having STUFF.
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Not always. It would have cost a LOT more to move my furniture that I didn't love than it cost for me to buy from a consignment store at my new place. The quality of the stuff I have now is much better, too. My old stuff wouldn't have fit right in my new place either.
As for sentimental value, your memories are in your MEMORY, not in the things themselves. Take a picture and donate it or sell it if it is too much to bring. It might be hard at first, but it gets easier.
I shipped 13 apple boxes of stuff to myself UPS. It cost about $400 to do so, but I paid extra per box to have them pick them up at my house. Worth for me in the long run.
I basically said "this item is going to cost $50 to ship, or I can buy new for $25" NOT worth it. I love not having STUFF.
This is true, with all the people constantly moving as well as all the people losing homes and getting rid of furniture or selling it to keep their homes, there's lots of high quality furniture out there on craigs list and thrift//consignment stores.
Donating stuff was easy for me. Leaving it on the curb when charities wouldn't pick up large items or couldn't come as fast as I was clearing it out was ridiculously stressful lol.
My husband and I were both constantly checking.....did someone take it....only one more day to trash...is it gone yet lol. I hated the idea of useful stuff that had served me well going into the landfill. Also, as silly as it sounds it was like a rejection of sorts.....what, my beloved arm chair is not good enough for anyone to take? Nuts. Fortunately, only a couple of items weren't adopted.
I sat on the porch and watch a young couple struggle to put a table in their small car for 20 minutes. Finally, they gave up and I was bummed. Went in the house to refresh my drink and they were back with a pick up. I was thrilled lol. It's nuts. But, the funny thing was I originally took it off the street from someone else, so now its had three lives with three families.
This is true, with all the people constantly moving as well as all the people losing homes and getting rid of furniture or selling it to keep their homes, there's lots of high quality furniture out there on craigs list and thrift//consignment stores.
Donating stuff was easy for me. Leaving it on the curb when charities wouldn't pick up large items or couldn't come as fast as I was clearing it out was ridiculously stressful lol.
My husband and I were both constantly checking.....did someone take it....only one more day to trash...is it gone yet lol. I hated the idea of useful stuff that had served me well going into the landfill. Also, as silly as it sounds it was like a rejection of sorts.....what, my beloved arm chair is not good enough for anyone to take? Nuts. Fortunately, only a couple of items weren't adopted.
I sat on the porch and watch a young couple struggle to put a table in their small car for 20 minutes. Finally, they gave up and I was bummed. Went in the house to refresh my drink and they were back with a pick up. I was thrilled lol. It's nuts. But, the funny thing was I originally took it off the street from someone else, so now its had three lives with three families.
I have also enjoyed going to thrift stores here looking to replace my stuff. I found a casserole dish EXACTLY like one I left behind, even.
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I thought about getting rid of my furniture but it cost way too much to replace. My stuff is good quality. I did, however, purge quite a bid of stuff that I collected over the years. I also sold a few items on Craigslist. I regret getting rid of my rugs and decorative pillows. I also regret selling my treadmill.
My attitude is a bit different.
Retirement will give me the time to do what I want, but not the income. Thus, I have been stockpiling art supplies and fiber art supplies for years. I have been waiting all my life to have ALL DAY to create. I also have tons of books which are a huge part of me and my identity. I am culling, but I will still have more books and supplies to move than most folks.
I am attached to my stuff - it provides me with a feeling of home and continuity and a reward for working at a job that has all but sucked out my will to live. I deserve my stuff. When I get to where I am going I will need to buy quite a bit of furniture - I am 62 and don't have a sofa!
And what about the new snowblower and lawn mower? The gardening supplies and tools? Coming along of course.
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