Downsizing and decluttering your life!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by CurtEgerer

We have been re-cluttering ever since but our foresight in buying the smallest house we could tolerate acts like a governor. If something goes into the house, something else must go out.

Great plan. If you have space, it's too easy to fill it...

Now you need a 40x40 workshop!

[wildthing]

Marie Kondo.

[fintstone]

I was just looking at some stuff from my mother's house. There are about 1000 post cards as well as some letters from the late 1800s to about the 1930s. Some earlier. Most are addressed to my great grandmother. I guess she kept all her mail. There are also many photos of the period of people that I do not know. Apparently, my mother ended up with these when her mother died.... who, in turn, must have ended up with them when my great grandmother died. I cannot bring myself to throw them away, but I will probably never read them or do anything but pass them down to one of my kids (when they clean out my house). I wish I had received at least the photos before my last great aunt died (as she had a great memory and could tell me who they were). Probably relatives, but they could just as easily be strangers. I don't even know who the people are in my grandmother's photos from the 50s and 60s. I wish people would have labeled them (but I don't do that either...as I know who the people are).

[A930Rocket]

The last two houses we sold, we downsized and decluttered after each one. Now we are in a 2250 square-foot townhouse. The interior is not bad and Ms. rocket has decorated it with reclaimed furniture that she has refinished.

We have a quite a bit of stuff in the garage… we keep our garbage cans in there, but I need to add shelving and organize it better for my car, parts and tools.

[Baz]

What put me over the threshold was clearing out Mom's house after it was flooded 2 years ago - plus more recently when it was listed for sale. Add to that a whole bunch of motorcycle parts!

I also have quite a bit of materials leftover from when I had my landscape, irrigation, and lighting business. Boxes and boxes of stuff! Including 2 trenchers!

I'm happy to report however the attic is completely void of any of it!

Hoping to get a workshop shed constructed outside to help with some of this but really and truly could dump a bunch of stuff no longer needed.

[MBAtarga]

Baz - what's the story on the trenchers? Is it worth a trip from ATL to get one?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

Baz - what's the story on the trenchers? Is it worth a trip from ATL to get one?

IMHO, no.

They haven't been run in a few years and will need some restoration work.

[cabmandone]

I just put up another building. It seems easier.

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

My wife and I use the six month rule. If you haven’t used it for six months, it’s time to donate or trash it.

I'd be lucky to remember where I put something after six months!

[911 Rod]

My wife has been decluttering her stuff and the house stuff.
Now she is working on my stuff!

[herr_oberst]

I hear you, Baz!

I've tried decluttering a few times. It never goes as well as my initial enthusiasm thinks it will. I seem to run out of steam because, you know, focus and concentration.
(Plus, I have a ton of tools and supplies and just random stuff, that may or may not ever be used by me again, but I hate the idea of letting it go - creative intention, perceived value; call it what you want. It's hoarding.

And there's always the aftermath, where later down the road I need or want one of the few things I was able to part with. So there's that in the back of my mind!

Here's two tools I'll likely never use and a little stash of pegboard that could be used for something. This is so typical! This little scene repeats itself in seemingly every corner of my house, shop, shed, (mind ).....

(drill, baby, drill)


It would probably behoove me to entrust someone to help go through and decide what really needs to be scrapped, because I'm one of those people who can look at a broken object and see what can be done to repair it, but how important is it, really? I'm sure many of you can read between the lines here and picture my stash of mostly working appliances and electronics, half finished projects and stacks of material for future builds. There's a lot.

There used to be a show on cable where some guy would put out two big tarps on the lawn, and then go through the victims treasures one by one and try to decide what to keep and what to toss. It was a pretty depressing show really, but it had a train wreck quality to it, that spoke to my reality!

Anyway, thanks for this thread, Baz. It was cathartic for me to be able to sort some of my thoughts.

[rfuerst911sc]

I think I have come to the conclusion that it's time to put my Boxster up for sale in the spring . It is such a great car but so is my 996 . I am also thinking about selling my car trailer . I got rid of the boat last year but added a 5th wheel camper . I have so many tools for just being a DIYer . But it is somewhat painful to sell things off . But you can't take it all with you either .

[wdfifteen]

My wife says I don't buy cars, I marry them. I buy cars and I eventually put a lot of sweat equity into them, plus I attach a lot of memories to experiences that involved the cars. I had a tough time selling my truck in November 2023. I had so much trouble with the idea of selling the Porsche coupe that I'd owned for 50 years that I gave it to my son instead of selling it to a stranger. I still have a Speedster, a Carrera, and a VW bug that I have a lot of wrench time with. It's going to be hard to see them go.

[HobieMarty]

I "decluttered" a little bit today by giving this little guy some Nascar hot wheels this morning. I figure it's better to see him smile and have fun with them than have them sitting in a box.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[onewhippedpuppy]

Great picture! My boys always lined up their Hot Wheels too.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I hear you, Baz!
-snip-
Anyway, thanks for this thread, Baz. It was cathartic for me to be able to sort some of my thoughts.

Can't take any credit for something YOU brought up 1.5 years ago, Herr Oberst!

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1148583-hoarding-hoarding-hoarders-who-hoard-hoards.html

[herr_oberst]

^^^^

Hah! A blast from the past! FWIW, the Kona is gone (replaced with a Specialized Crux, so back to even) and the glove hoard has been thinned by 2/3's, but I still have a honkin' load o'stuff. And I still can't bring myself to bin 'valuable stuff', even though it would be in everyone's best interest.