does so much of this sound familiar, and, so many of the same challenges. have so much to divest of, and all so similiar. we'll do it though. we are lucky to have options, and, our problems are miniscule compared to so many . small problems. just material stuff. biggest thing is just finding that special place that satisfies all i am looking for- biggest problem, don't exactly know what that is ! optimistic though. it will happen.
Sorting through all my mother's "stuff" when she passed away was a nightmare that I decided I could never inflict on my son. The problem is getting my husband to agree to begin divesting ourselves of things we have had for years.
Maybe you could start by divesting yourself of things that do not pertain to your husband, like some old books that would not interest him and that you do not plan to reread. If you set an example of downsizing, it might prompt him to do the same. You might even take some personal advantage of the space you free up, such as by using that space as some kind of staging area with regard to your plans for future relocation. Once you get to the point that a room full of clutter is all his clutter, it becomes easier to prompt him to get with it. I just kept a few small boxes of memoirs of my mother, aside from my memories and furniture and other items that I actually use. I kept one blouse she used to wear and got rid of the rest of her clothes, along with all of her shoes, etc. I donated her eye glasses to the Lions Club. I kept all of the pictures of her, of course.
We just put together about 6 large black bags of clothing that we are giving to a charity. Before I move next year I will have give a lot of things I don't want to take along to family members and have a garage sale on what's left. At this point I don't think I'm going to take any furniture with me so I'll be traveling pretty light. I will buy a mini van which will hold me and the 6 pets and I'll also rent a 10' box truck (that my son will drive) for any of the household stuff I am taking.
posted by LIGuy
about 1 month ago
My new favorite charity is Habitat for Humanity's recycling store. They have a truck and will come and get your "stuff". Not only do I give to them, but I've found wonderful treasures there. We outfitted our guest bathroom cabinet with a black marble countertop and a beautiful glass vessel sink. (including Japanese style fixtures). And, we paid less than one third the retail price. You know that the money goes to building homes for low income families. We've donated old doors, appliances, furniture, lamps, etc. We give clothing to a thrift store that supports the battered women's shelter. Both thrift shops give tax deductible forms.
indian2002
For us, this was not a problem. Most of my life I tried to buy only what I needed. When we left our home of 20 yrs. I was amazed at how easy it was to leave. For a few months in advance, I would spend time everyday cleaning out at least one closet, drawer or cabinet, etc. Every week I made a trip to a local shelter with things they could use.
When we moved cross country, we had only a pod which wasn't even full. Now when I need something, I go on freecycle.com or craigs list.
As for the things my son had at the house - he was given one month and if he didn't clear his stuff out, off to the shelter or goodwill.
Be strong and give to those in need. You'll feel great when your done. Less stuff equals less stress.
Good luck,
Elaine
Elaine such good advice. My consumerism has flagged during this recession. In fact all kinds of buying has been cut down. Christmas is going to be interesting this year. We'll do the names in the hat for our big family. They have a good idea in our church: bring a warm coat for someone who needs one. They are distributed to the homeless.
we went through stuff before making the recent move..my wife found her sons(he's forty) sixth grade science project..and her dad's(dead 15 years)full sized drafting table. took 4 pickup truck loads to my company dumpster.
