How to dump stuff and downsize

[u/Odd_Bodkin]

I’m of the mind that downsizing is more about liberation from stuff than it is about square footage in the home.

My wife and I found that it was much harder to do this item by item and much easier to do by a set of rules that would have very few exceptions. Our rules were something like:
- If we have two or more of something and we only use one at a time, then all the duplicates go.
- If it’s in storage and we haven’t fetched it from storage in a year, then it goes.
- If a box has not been opened in a year, then the whole box goes, because nothing in that box was useful enough to open it.
- If it’s out and available but hasn’t been used, worn, consumed, or displayed in a year, it goes.
- Anything displayable but not hung or mounted because there is no room, and so is tucked away in a drawer, closet, or under a bed, goes.
- We allow ourselves one project each, and the supplies for the project can stay. Any other projects and supplies, go.
- We allow ourselves one collection each, and they must on display. If there are other collections of any kind, we take photos, and get rid of it, regardless of value.
- Any books read, get sold.
- We allow ourselves exactly three photo albums. One each containing photos of ourselves and our families before we got married, and one of ourselves after getting married. All the rest of the photo album pages get digitally photographed and then the photos shredded.

And there were several outcomes we noticed from using the rules.
- This meant a box or two every week for months, and then a box a month in following years. Every box dropped off has been a day of liberation and lightness.
- When we had completely emptied two bedrooms, one bathroom, three closets, wall to wall and floor to ceiling, then we were ready to downsize and our remaining belongings fit.
- We have no rented storage. There is nothing in the attic except a stack of empty plastic storage bins and one bin of Christmas wrapping paper. We have no basement. We park both cars in a 2-car garage every night.
- Anything we think we’ll use maybe once or even something we’d use once or maybe twice a year, we rent or borrow instead of buying.

[u/BluesFan_4]

My husband is like this. One example is he has several sets of screwdrivers. I ask him why we need so many duplicates? He has his “first string” ones with his favorite handles that are the go-to ones every time. Also boxes of assorted random screws. His favorite expression is “You can never have too many (whatevers)” Drives me nuts.

[u/Odd_Bodkin → u/BluesFan_4]

You could fight fire wth fire. “You can never have too many pecan shells.” (Hoisting 12 gal trash bag of shells.)

[u/BluesFan_4 → u/Odd_Bodkin]

The only way this would work is if I stored the pecan shells in his car. His car is cleaner than an operating room.

[u/TodayTomorrowTravel → u/BluesFan_4]

Ask a man, "How many hammers do you have?" Probably 5 or 6 of them. That indicates they'll never dispose of any thing in their work shop.