Limit the number of my possessions

goals that have the same theme of basically cutting back on my things.

I think once we’re settled in the house (really settled… all boxes and things put away and organized) I will try to do one last sweep of things that I don’t really need and then maybe mark this complete. Obviously, it’s something that can never truly be completed. To me it’s more of a life-long goal. I will be always be buying news things and having to trash/donate old things. Hopefully this just gets me on the right track to living a simpler, less materialistic life.

that I can look at stuff I haven’t used in two years (since moving out from college) and think “Well, maybe I’ll still use it!” instead of getting rid of it or donating??

You’d think it would be so easy. I haven’t needed it in the last 2 years, why would I suddenly need it now??

I have about two plastic bags full of clothes that I don’t wear/don’t need any more. Admittedly, it’s because I plan to revamp my wardrobe in the next month or so. All that space I made will get re-filled.

My mom used to always tell me when she took me clothes shopping that for everything we bought, I had to get rid of something. Not a bad way to go about it.

Does fusing my engagement ring to one of my wedding bands count as a decrease in possessions?? I went from 3 rings to “2.”

So between yesterday and today I donated two (small) boxes of books to the local library for their book sale. At first I was kind of freaked out, but then I got this rush when I packed them all up, reorganized the books that I kept, and dropped the books off at the donation spot.

There were some books that I felt guilty getting rid of… BUT. I had read most of them and most likely would not read again. Some books I hadn’t read (but I bought them for $1 or $0.50 at the last book sale I was at). The thing I kept reminding myself of is that if I REALLY want to re-read a book or read a classic for the first time, I have the library system. :)

Wow! This felt GREAT!

Now, I’m not exactly ANYWHERE near limiting myself to 100 items in any part of my life, but it is thrilling to simplify and get rid of stuff! I’ve got two (small) boxes of books to donate somewhere. My connections at the library (wink wink) have helped me decipher which ones I can take there. And I gave a bunch of clothes to my ‘little’ cuz!

Surprisingly enough (not really surprising) I still have more that enough clothing to get me through the day. And the best part is that it’s limited (or getting limited to) the stuff that I wear on a regular basis. No more of this “well I SHOULD wear this.” Now I can just wear what I like. :)

So a few weeks ago I read an article about a married couple who simplified their lives and were able to live with less. It sounds like a great idea.

How did she do it? In part, by limiting her personal possesions to 100 things. Total. Including pots, plates, and clothes. I don’t think that I can go that extreme, but I definitely have a lot of STUFF that I just don’t need anymore!

I wish I could limit myself to having 100 possesions in different aspects of my life (for a start): 100 clothes, 100 books, 100 movies.

But that also begs the question: do sheet sets count as 1 possesion as a whole, or is each sheet or pillowcase a possesion? We’ll see how it goes. I may have to step down gradually (200 clothes, to 150, to 100). I’ll have to update later on what I actually have.