Minimize existing clutter and excess possessions

Okay, so I was all gung-ho on getting rid of my books this Saturday. I packed up two boxes, and drove about 45 minutes away to get to the book store I thought for sure would give me a good price on my books because they are after all, basically new. Most of them anyways. The majority I’ve bought, and read once, so they are in great condition.

Anyways, I get there and hand him 5 books. He states he will give me $8 dollars for them. Eight flippin’ dollars! I couldn’t believe it! But then again, maybe they won’t sell well? I don’t know. The majority have to do with religions in some sort, or consciousness, meditation, quantum physics. Maybe thats why?

Well, point of the story: I didn’t leave my awesome books with him. The cheap stinker! It’s probably just not the right place for my books. Suggestions anyone?

This weekend is it. The Big Clothing Purge. I have to get rid of all the clothes that I haven’t worn for months and donate them to charity.

My best bet is probably to not even open the boxes. If I haven’t worn it in 6 months, what’s the likelihood I ever will again? Pretty slim. It’s time to move on.

I’ve decided to let go of my books. I’m unsure how to (maybe a garage sale as most of the books are in pristine condition? or sell to a used book store?). I am only going to keep my favorites and the ones I have not read yet (of course).

I have minimised the clutter on the outside. There are now 6 plastic containers and one box housing all the things I am going to sell and two boxes of stuff for charity.
Once I have sold the six containers – mainly clothing, then I plan on tackling the clutter hidden in cupboards.
It felt so good to finally finish after four days almost everything has a place.

I have decided to sell my big tv- I don’t need it, I am always happier with less.

I love the idea of living in the truck for weeks @ a time- never being in the same spot. What key elements do I need to survive day to day?

So here are my main two goals for this project: sort and donate any clothes that I don’t wear/don’t fit into, and also pare down my book collection (which is huge!). I just have this stinkin’ thing with books, where I keep on buying and buying and don’t read them, but I cannot give them up for the life of me. Once I have one, it’s like, I achieved another one—my collection grew! Maybe it’s a comfort thing. It must be. So anyway, I decided that I would rather have a small collection of excellent, well-read books that I appreciate and will maybe read again than a large, never-ending collection of books that I will never read but “feel good to have.” This will be my next goal.

I collect stuffed animals. They are all over my room. I’ve already gotten rid of everything else I considered to be clutter, but my room still LOOKS cluttered. I feel like I have too many of them now, so I’m giving some of them to the thrift store.

As for my other stuff (clothes, electronics, etc.) I try my best not to want to buy any more of it because I don’t have space for it. If I see something I absolutely HAVE to have, then when I get it home I’ll give something else away to make room.

Even thought I just started on this goal, I think I’m close to finished. Now if I could just keep everything in it’s place I’d be set! :)

This has been a constantly ongoing effort for me, for about the past five or six years. I just keep paring down and don’t reach equilibrium. Part of it is that acquiring things for my hobbies (reading, yarn for knitting/crochet, etc) just sort of keeps happening, though that I don’t mind because it’s stuff that is going to be used and loved. Part of it is also that things appear in my house that I don’t really want (xmas gifts from folks who don’t know I already have enough pairs of winter gloves). And part of it is just that I find things I no longer feel that I need and I want to get rid of the weight of having them. Mostly I just find that I sort of want less and less stuff. Having discovered the beauty of an uncovered counter or shelf, I want to maintain it!

It’s about time for a spring de-cluttering around the house. I’ve got one bag of stuff by the door ready to go. Maybe this weekend I’ll sort through books and find more, and make a donation run. I could use a little lessening of stuff to sort of lighten up the house and perk me back up.

Big part of the goal, clean out things I don’t use frequently and stop buying things that take up space.