Letting go of possessions before planning to downsize

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.

@sueinmn Deciding what to downsize can be a dilemma. I am on a fabric and yarn diet, telling myself there will be no buying more until my substantial respective stashes are diminished! And that also goes for my other accumulated art supplies. As for clothes, those have never been a big draw for me, and it will be easier to release good clothes that haven't been worn, knowing they will benefit others.

Our neighbor lost everything in a wildfire in 2018. Since then, she has hoarded stuff of all kinds. All it takes is a look at her house for me to understand the idea of letting go of possessions can be fraught with emotions!
Ginger

I love to purge out closets, drawers, etc. I sometimes consider getting a truck!

Thoughtful topic. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but my 1200 square foot house feels somewhat under control. I give books and clothes to Savers regularly (my main accumulations) and for spring cleaning I discarded large bag fulls of stuff from each room. Some of the clutter is that our 7 year old granddaughter is here two days a week--leaving a trail of old shoeboxes full of toothpick and clay creations etc. The house is far from minimalist, but pretty much everything in it has active purpose. We're leaving the house directly to my daughter's family--as joint tenancy when either I or my husband die. She and her husband know a huge amount about construction and maintenance. They live out in the county, but our house is very near their daughter's school. So really it is win/win. They could use it as a rental, partially move into town, sell it, whatever works. Since the house is going directly to them I'm now consulting on everything--like what kind of water heater they prefer etc. if something needs to be replace. This little, somewhat funky house sheltered me, my first husband before his death, current husband, daughter, foster daughter, and now granddaughter. I'm grateful to the house, and glad it will still be appreciated after I'm gone.

I actually created a YouTube episode on this very topic.

It's hard to accommodate. I found that after getting rid of a lot of stuff, I'd barely made a dent.
Argh.

@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.

@sueinmn
I have been doing this . Iwe took a pick up load of things to a church in our downtown area that serves many poor . I looked around quietly and noticed many of the thing we had brought were already out on the floor. One lady had actually chosen something we brought and was so excited! My heart sang that it made her so happy!
I also receive an online blog called “ Becoming minimalist”. Minimalism isnt what one might think. I love the motivation this gives me to continue donating and making life simple. My husband, has MCI and is sometimes a handful and most of this cleaning is done
by me.
I donate fabric to our church group. ( hardly any left)
Sold most of my plants at a neighborhood sale ( bargains!). It is great!

3 years ago I had a heart attack 2 stents cardiac rehab. Got back to normal for a few months fall outside my house. One big goose egg and a broken bone on my spine. Then in the middle of it all water leak in basement. First company I hired, bad my insurance called and told me to fire them and pay them off get someone else.
I had a number of things I wanted to go to certain people, they got them. Then 4 kids taking picture anyone wants, many small boxes later. The important thing got a new home.

I work on this every day!
And despite making progress, I still have a long way to go.

@edsutton me, too.