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musicgal_gw

Clean Slate

musicgal
9 years ago

I've been slowly clearing out our rental by using Craigslist. Bye coffee tables, antique hutch, bedroom set, barstools. Putting good stuff in boxes a little at a time. Feels so good every time I get rid of something:-)

Moving into a new house provides us with a clean slate and we have resolved not to clutter it up. Our storage is incredible there though, so it might be tempting to keep stuff we don't need, for example- magazines. I do like my Bon Apetit! What do you get rid of first?

Comments (8)

  • grainlady_ks
    9 years ago

    When moving, I pack what I DON'T need for everyday use first (china, special serving pieces, seldom used kitchen items, family keepsakes, off-season clothes etc.), and that's the "stuff" you need to give careful consideration. We're all overwhelmed with things that aren't adding value to our lives, and moving brings the cream-to-the-top, so to speak, so you CAN decide if it's necessary.

    If it is a keepsake, but it's never seen or used because it's hidden in the basement or packed away in a storage box, maybe you can think of a new use for it so it is seen and used in your new abode. Otherwise, do you really need it? Can you live without it? If so, let it go.

    Things we truly need, according to the 20/20 theory of minimalism, can be replaced for less than $20 in less than 20-minutes from our currant location.

    Good luck with your mission to eliminate, jettison, extract, detach, declutter, pare down and let go.

    -Grainlady

  • talley_sue_nyc
    9 years ago

    I think I want to move.

    I do like the "what do you keep" approach.

    As to what I would get rid of first?
    All periodicals.

    I work in publishing; I've worked on major consumer magazines since 1981. None of them are worth keeping. They are all intended to be discarded; they are not reference material. (And there are librarians across the country who keep them, so you don't need to preserve them for any historical reasons.)

    If there was a recipe in your BonAp (as we call it here) that you liked, that you truly -would- make, you'd have made it by now.

    And if you love reading those magazines, especially food ones, toss the old ones, and that will make room (in your home, your head, your heart) to get now ones now and then. Because there isn't any real pleasure in reading old magazines.
    It's OK for magazines to be fleeting indulgences.

    (Also, my friends at BonAp need jobs; so toss the old ones and get new ones.)

    I would also toss paperwork.

    And vases.

    And kits or crafts that I haven't actually used.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    9 years ago

    I forgot to say--good luck with the "get rid of it" efforts!

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago

    There certainly is a tendency to fill up space, just because we have it. I had decades worth of National Geographic magazines, and I finally got up the courage to toss (recycle) them all. I wanted to take some time to find them a home (middle and high school science teachers were my target market), but DH was anxious to kiss them goodbye.

    Designate some of the storage spaces in the new house - for example, holiday decorations, sporting equipment, off-season clothes. You may be less tempted to toss a box of magazines in a spot you've labeled Holiday, even if there's room.

    You're smart to start getting rid of things now, before you haul them to the new house! Try not to pile boxes in a storage area, with the intention of going through them later. Put boxes in the middle of the living room, so you are forced to deal with them. But don't be afraid to get rid of things that you have moved.

    Good luck, and keep feeding off that good feeling!

  • musicgal
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Today, someone came and paid $150 for a desk set that will be totally useless to us. I am filled with glee:-)

  • talley_sue_nyc
    9 years ago

    oooh, money!

    One thing about National Geographic--do you know that many libraries have that magazine on a list of periodicals they do NOT accept?

    It's printed on hefty paper, and people think that the magazine is extra authoritative, and put those together, and it has the aura of a reference book.
    But it's a periodical--which means it gets out of date, it's supposed to have a short life.

    I would bet that you would spend a lot of time trying to find someone who truly, truly wanted those magazines.
    Recycling them is exactly as useful to the greater world as passing them along would be.

    This post was edited by talley_sue_nyc on Mon, Aug 4, 14 at 14:37

  • sherwoodva
    9 years ago

    I agree with Talley Sue; moving is great motivation. We got rid of stacks of magazines and books. The gardening books went to the library of a public garden. We kept reference books, college yearbooks, and some of my DH's favorite cookbooks. We can get novels and paperbacks from the library.

    I still have my knitting and painting books, and some of the painting magazines. (Knitting patterns get outdated quickly, so I tossed them.) For family heirlooms that we don't use, I read on here years ago to take a photo and then sell it, so that is what we did with a pair of mid-century lamps.

    I am cleaning out my father's place now and have a stack of old photos to sort and put in those special acid free clear pages. Some photos, etc. are going to my cousins who have children, as we do not have children.

    Toss old bank statements. Our financial advisor said for investments, we only need to keep the last statement of the (calendar) year.

    Generally, knowing that someone else will get more use out of something than we will gives me motivation to sell it/give it away.

    Enjoy your new place!

  • micasasucasa
    9 years ago

    Organizing....one of my favorite words. A good cleanse may seem overwhelming. After it is all said and done it is all worth it. I always suggest to take it room by room The kitchen is usually the biggest challenge, try starting in there. You might be surprised how many things you really don't need and have collected dust over the years. Ask yourself "do I really use this or when is the last time I used it?" If you have to think about it, maybe it's time to let it go. I promise once you clean or pack up a kitchen all the rooms will be less stressful.

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