Husband and I are in the midst of moving from a house in
the city to a place that we’ve had in the country for several years. The whole time we've owned the two places, we made a point of accumulating as little as possible because we knew we’d be consolidating to one place eventually. Unfortunately, we didn't do as good a job of that as we thought. Two weeks after our move, we're still struggling to figure out what to pass along and where to put all the stuff we want to keep. Our country house, which always felt so airy and bright, suddenly feels far too small and dark.
When you stop to think about it, it's extraordinary how much stuff even regular folks have in affluent countries like Canada. Most of us have more clothes and shoes than we'll ever get round to wearing, electronic devices and kitchen appliances that we use only rarely, and souvenirs and photographs that we look at once or twice a decade at most. The bibliophiles amongst us casually accumulate hundreds - sometimes thousands - of books. We spend more time figuring out how and where to store all our stuff than we ever spend actually using it. The mental, physical, and psychological cost of acquiring and managing it all is simply enormous.
So what's the answer? First and foremost, we have to stop buying so much. To do that, I recommend avoiding malls at all costs and only shopping when you actually need something.
Second, we need to figure out how to share the stuff we have more easily. Lusting after some new tool? Figure out where you can borrow it instead. If you have no choice but to buy it, think about who can you lend it to when you're not using it yourself.
Third, we need to make stuff last as long as we can. Look after your stuff, repair it when necessary. No, you don't need the latest greatest version of absolutely everything - especially when an older version will do the job.
Finally, we need to pass stuff along when we're done with it. There are plenty of folks willing and able to use stuff you don't want anymore - most of it anyway. Figure out who they are, and give away everything you can. Waiting to give it to the "right person" or sell it "someday" usually means stuff sits in the attic or garage until it's of no use to anyone.
Need inspiration? Check out these words of wisdom:
“The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don't.”
― Marie Kondō
“Owning less is better than organizing more.”
― Joshua Becker,
When you stop to think about it, it's extraordinary how much stuff even regular folks have in affluent countries like Canada. Most of us have more clothes and shoes than we'll ever get round to wearing, electronic devices and kitchen appliances that we use only rarely, and souvenirs and photographs that we look at once or twice a decade at most. The bibliophiles amongst us casually accumulate hundreds - sometimes thousands - of books. We spend more time figuring out how and where to store all our stuff than we ever spend actually using it. The mental, physical, and psychological cost of acquiring and managing it all is simply enormous.
So what's the answer? First and foremost, we have to stop buying so much. To do that, I recommend avoiding malls at all costs and only shopping when you actually need something.
Second, we need to figure out how to share the stuff we have more easily. Lusting after some new tool? Figure out where you can borrow it instead. If you have no choice but to buy it, think about who can you lend it to when you're not using it yourself.
Third, we need to make stuff last as long as we can. Look after your stuff, repair it when necessary. No, you don't need the latest greatest version of absolutely everything - especially when an older version will do the job.
Finally, we need to pass stuff along when we're done with it. There are plenty of folks willing and able to use stuff you don't want anymore - most of it anyway. Figure out who they are, and give away everything you can. Waiting to give it to the "right person" or sell it "someday" usually means stuff sits in the attic or garage until it's of no use to anyone.
Need inspiration? Check out these words of wisdom:
“The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don't.”
― Marie Kondō
“Owning less is better than organizing more.”
― Joshua Becker,
Totally! We have been in our house more than 30 years, and some days I think I'm drowning in clutter. At one point I could produce a list of books for insurance purposes. Now it's several lists via different technologies, and I don't have the faintest idea how many books there are. I would not be surprised to find it's north of 5000, many of which I know we will never touch again. And CD's, and DVD's. And, and, and...
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