SNAP # 30 – The thing is, whatever space I have, eventually, I’ll fill it up. Promise.
Eight years ago, when I moved from a 4,000 square feet-house to a 2,000 square feet-house, I did the math. Half the house requires half the stuff. Pat myself on the back, three gold stars, the moving van carried only fifty-percent of our belongings to Nevada. When I settled in, I still had, uh, a full house. (Okay, I’ve lived in Vegas way too long!)
WHAT TO KEEP. WHAT GOES. DECISIONS. DECISIONS. DECISIONS.
Fast forward to 2012. Even I recognize that I still live in a 2,000 square foot home but now have enough belongings to fill a home twice the size. How did that happen? As a result, I’ve decided to bite the hand that carried the stuff into this house and do the Spring-thing. De-clutter. Toss out. Donate.
For example, I’ve already left several heavy wool sweaters in our Colorado storage closet so I probably don’t need the five others I brought here. The 15 cartons I packed in Colorado and have not unpacked here. Gone. Extra DVD, printer, and iron? Bye, bye. Two broken chairs, waiting re-gluing? Not my problem anymore.
WHO WOULD LIVE LIKE THIS? YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING.
Nothing’s exempt from my scathing editing eye. I’m being ruthless. Sorta. My five-hundred rubber stamps? Keepers. My kitchen inventory? Don’t even……… My turkey platter collection? Boxes of ephemera saved for craft projects? And, books, books, books. I just mayyyy need them someday.
You can see it’s not going to be easy.
But, here’s the SNAP. Lighten your load to lighten your life. “Things” are a responsibility. Too many things, I think, are a liability. The Spring thing, cleaning up your act, join me. I’m giving myself a month. Day 4? It’s going well.
AMEN!!! But–quilting, scrapbooking, cookbooks, wonderful old “Cottage Living” magazines and a whole basement full of woodworking stuff(Pete’s). As soon as you throw it away, you will need it! It always happens!
Do you hire out? I could use an experienced clutter destroyer to snap me out of my avoidance behavior …
I hire out but I am very expensive.
Oh, this is great. I’ve been trying to declutter this year. I have a stack of boxes that moved out of the house (2000 sq ft) with me when I first became single again and moved into an apartment (1000 sq ft) and then finally into my current house (1500 sq ft). And we won’t talk about the other “stuff” that has come along the way… Whew. I get tired thinking about it.
My parents have lived in their house almost 55 years. Two summers ago, my mom ordered two roll-offs and filled them. She said that she did it so that someday I wouldn’t have to 🙂
Congrats on your ruthless streak.
I was like that with all my photos until I got a digital scanner. I have so much more physical space now!
Oh, you are an inspiration! I keep saying when my oldest gets an apartment (which should be soon), I am getting rid of anything he doesn’t move with him…college futon, etc. SO much stuff!!
PS…I’m so glad your daughter is doing well thanks to medical technology…whew. My dad and MIL both have pacemakers…thank goodness for this marvelous invention!