This title should read how far can I go or how far do I want to go?
Since posting last week about my wardrobe clear out, I’ve been pondering these questions. I feel liberated by my clothing reduction, it feels great, and now I’m turning my attention to all our possessions. I must admit we are not overrun by stuff, as you all know I like my organising and decluttering, however I still feel like we have too much.
I have books that I’ll probably never read again, do I need to keep them? I have a couple of spare chairs in our box room, and a shed full of stuff, why? Why do we hang on to things?
I’m not saying that I want an empty, totally minimalist house, I love nice things, especially pictures, but I do want rid of anything hidden in a cupboard which serves no purpose.
{photo credit: tuffer}
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
We have been thinking a lot about this kind of thing lately. Having not long returned from our life on the road and back to our ’stuff’ sometimes it feels quite suffocating. Before we left we de-cluttered all of our things and rented out a small storage unit for our personal things (paintings, furniture we loved etc etc) and went on the road with hardly anything. Now we’re back, although fabulous to have all our precious things back, we have found that every time we visit someone they give us more ’stuff’ … Things we don’t need or want, which was proved living perfectly happily and healthily for 18 months on the road.
The thing is I think lots of people have too much stuff and the best way is to hang on to all that is precious and bin anything else that you really don’t use or need. However, be careful – when we left we were a bit too ruthless and now as we unpack I think ‘I wish I had kept that’ … take for instance the little chair that hubby got rid of – it would go perfectly with my dressing table … I’m not bitter
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Fanciful Alice´s last blog ..Back to the Daily Grind
But you don’t have to get rid of everything to become a minimalist. Minimalism is about having priorities and and keeping only what you love. Some people go more extreme, but that doesn’t mean they are more minimalist than someone who decides to clean out her wardrobe and keep key pieces. Good luck!
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The Everyday Minimalist´s last blog ..Saturday Project: Clean out your Junk Drawer
I’d have to go with “Everyday Minimalist” above and say it’s about priorities. This is a similar situation to so-called “frugal” living – people often question my frugal living – especially when I’ve just returned from Thailand, Malaysia or Madeira
Similarly I’ve really cut down on what I own in most areas – and would like to cut down even further – it’s my long term aim to go car-free for example – I now work from home so I don’t use my car that much – but I haven’t quite managed to be free of the thing yet. I keep clothes to a minimum – but recently invested in some wet weather gear as I’ve been spending a fair bit of time up in Snowdonia.
So “how far can you go”? Most people have far more stuff than they need, and a lot is just sitting around collecting dust. I guess the trick is to figure out what’s important to you and get rid of the rest. That’s worked reasonably well for me so far…
I’m so on the same page. I’m gradually weeding everything out but it is turning out to be a much longer winded process than I originally thought it would be. Buying less has obviously helped! I’m wondering if this is a process that ever really ends…
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Shoestring´s last blog ..Projects 1,2 & 3 of 50: Off to a good start!
Oh, I’ve had much fun ridding of the stuff I don’t need anymore, too. I rid of most of my books which I will never read again. But, kept the novels I prize in my collection (even if I don’t read them again).
It was nice to take 4 bags of clothes that won’t be worn again or have been outgrown (and I still more closets to go). I can’t wait to embark on the rest of the kitchen. I already hit one food/baking cupboard. It’s amazing the stuff we keep or buy and don’t end up using. The purpose for it somehow disappeared.
I agree with Alice. Don’t throw too much away. Keep it for a future decluttering even where you can re-evaluate if you really need it still.
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Moneyfunk´s last blog ..Meal Plan Monday
I remember my dad with this post. He threw everything – as in everything. He drove me crazy. But after a while, I realized he was doing the right thing. Once you have seen it, or wrote it, with all the clutter in life and in our heads (not to mention the many more that will come) – it’s catharsis, a way of letting go, a cleansing, if you please. Because from time to time, really, we need to.
Wow, what a great post!
I’m not sure why we keep the things that we do. I’m hoping that in the next few weeks I’ll also be getting rid of a lot of my stuff, but for some reason I feel such an emotional attachment. I mean, I found myself staring at this ugly vase that I own, wondering how I got it, why I don’t use, why do I own it and why in the world is it so hard to get rid of?!!
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SS4BC´s last blog ..Tidbits and Miscellaneous
I’m in the midst of a huge decluttering project during 2010.
I always used to be on top of clutter for most of my life.
However, since I married and had a family during the last 7 years, my family and I have accumulated a lot of clutter.
It is almost overwhelming how much.
It has been surprising how much of my life energy dealing with this stuff is using.
So I am tackling it one section at a time…….
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Non Consumer Girl´s last blog ..My Tips on WordPress.com