Connect
← Return to Letting go of possessions before planning to downsize
Discussion
Letting go of possessions before planning to downsize
Aging Well | Last Active: 12 hours ago | Replies (55)Comment receiving replies
I think about it everyday Sue @sueinmn. Unfortunately I still need to get buy-in from my boss 🤐 I have started in my closet mostly because I still have a lot of clothes that I purchased when I weighed a size or two bigger. This is the year though and I think I just need to start in my computer room so my wife knows I'm serious.
Replies to "I think about it everyday Sue @sueinmn. Unfortunately I still need to get buy-in from my..."
@johnbishop
What I would most appreciate is a list of the types of places one can take items that I can remove from my home. My church has no "garage" type sale; I don't know of any churches that do. I do know of a homeless shelter that takes clothing. There are also several thrift shops in town. And there is a place that provides used furniture to people who have no furniture who are moving into a home that has no furniture. I guess I'm solving my own dilenma. There ARE places to take things. Now all l need to do is get them out the door and into the SUV.
Connect
@johnbishop Oh, I started with my own...no longer used art and sewing stuff, went on a fabric diet like Ginger, purged my closet and dresser multiple times, my garden stuff. Next step was kitchen and dining - found new homes for no longer used handed down dishes and silver, set a "baseline" quantity for storage containers, canning jars, boxes, etc.
Last year came a natural starting point for my "boss" - he acquired a 3D printer and all that goes with it, so he had to tackle his workroom to make space. All the obsolete computer parts and equipment went away in two weeks! Still more shelves to tackle, but you can see the floor, most of the workbench, and get to the closet.
We also unloaded 2 Highlander loads of paint, chemicals and other bad stuff at the city hazardous waste day, started on the garage together and supplied the local church garage sale with two loads of fabric, tools, luggage and assorted treasures.
I figure 2 more years to finish it all, then go back to see what hasn't been touched since we started...
@gingerw I totally get the hoarding after a catastrophic loss, but ironically saving stuff won't spare her from losing it all again. My friends lost their home and 90% of the contents right after retiring, and it had the opposite effect on them. It made them less attached to things. She now lives seasonally in 2 tiny homes 1500 miles apart, content with a few beloved heirlooms supplied by her sister and his, and she says she feels "light" because of it.
I don't think everyone needs to be minimalist, just be aware that there can be a blessing in having fewer possessions and more space.