Our family of five recently downsized from a four bedroom townhouse to a 1070 sq. ft. apartment and we have no regrets. We are committed to keeping only the things we need and love, and letting everything else go - a simpler life beckons.
We've sold, gifted and trashed a staggering amount of stuff this last year and our journey to a well organized, uncluttered life continues.
Getting rid of things is not easy. Our best efforts to get started are typically thwarted by sentimental attachment, how much the item cost when we acquired it, what we perceive the current value to be, the thought of how much work is required to dispose of the items, and so on.
We move a lot. My husband's job requires that we pack up all our worldly belongings every few years and move to a different country, possibly a different continent. Necessity propels us, motivates us, to start our cleaning out with the things that weigh the most or take up the most space. The area of your home that causes you sleepless nights or the area you hurry to tidy up when guests are coming may be the place to start.
Once you figure out where to start, designate a room or large box to set aside the things you no longer want or are on the fence about, you can come back to them later. Keeping these items in plain sight will create physical and mental clutter. Start with one category of things - a linen closet, a memory box, a box of photos, or your pantry. Bask in the relief you feel when your small task is done. Move on to the next and take on larger jobs as you gain confidence in your ability to get it done.
There are many options for getting rid of stuff before tossing them in the dumpster. Here are a few suggestions:
Sell on Facebook in a public Buy/Sell group or create your own private sale for your friends and acquaintances to get first dibs.
Host a yard/garage sale.
Use Amazon Trade-In to get some cash back for DVDs, CDs, books, and electronics you no longer use or want and would otherwise donate.
Try consignment stores such as thredUP to get some cash back for used clothing. The payout on thredUP has a reputation for being very small but once you make peace with the fact that you would otherwise be giving the clothes away, you will be grateful for whatever you make. I consider it money for a nice coffee or ice cream as a reward for my clean out efforts. Poshmark appears to be a more profitable option but managing individual items could involve a greater time commitment.
For mint condition dinnerware, flatware, glassware and collectibles, you may sell to Replacements, Ltd. I have not found the payouts for the items I have to be worth paying the cost of shipping but this could be useful if you have large quantities of high value items. Grandma's collection of fine china could earn you some cash instead of gathering dust in a closet.
Donate. Use empty Amazon boxes and a free shipping label from GiveBackBox.com. Check if your area Goodwill has a Pack & Ship Donation Service that offers free shipping.
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| Our 1070 sq. ft. space |
We've sold, gifted and trashed a staggering amount of stuff this last year and our journey to a well organized, uncluttered life continues.
Getting rid of things is not easy. Our best efforts to get started are typically thwarted by sentimental attachment, how much the item cost when we acquired it, what we perceive the current value to be, the thought of how much work is required to dispose of the items, and so on.
We move a lot. My husband's job requires that we pack up all our worldly belongings every few years and move to a different country, possibly a different continent. Necessity propels us, motivates us, to start our cleaning out with the things that weigh the most or take up the most space. The area of your home that causes you sleepless nights or the area you hurry to tidy up when guests are coming may be the place to start.
Once you figure out where to start, designate a room or large box to set aside the things you no longer want or are on the fence about, you can come back to them later. Keeping these items in plain sight will create physical and mental clutter. Start with one category of things - a linen closet, a memory box, a box of photos, or your pantry. Bask in the relief you feel when your small task is done. Move on to the next and take on larger jobs as you gain confidence in your ability to get it done.
There are many options for getting rid of stuff before tossing them in the dumpster. Here are a few suggestions:
Sell on Facebook in a public Buy/Sell group or create your own private sale for your friends and acquaintances to get first dibs.
Host a yard/garage sale.
Use Amazon Trade-In to get some cash back for DVDs, CDs, books, and electronics you no longer use or want and would otherwise donate.
Try consignment stores such as thredUP to get some cash back for used clothing. The payout on thredUP has a reputation for being very small but once you make peace with the fact that you would otherwise be giving the clothes away, you will be grateful for whatever you make. I consider it money for a nice coffee or ice cream as a reward for my clean out efforts. Poshmark appears to be a more profitable option but managing individual items could involve a greater time commitment.
For mint condition dinnerware, flatware, glassware and collectibles, you may sell to Replacements, Ltd. I have not found the payouts for the items I have to be worth paying the cost of shipping but this could be useful if you have large quantities of high value items. Grandma's collection of fine china could earn you some cash instead of gathering dust in a closet.
Donate. Use empty Amazon boxes and a free shipping label from GiveBackBox.com. Check if your area Goodwill has a Pack & Ship Donation Service that offers free shipping.
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