cat in box
I know this is a weighty topic for new year’s eve but it has been on my mind a lot lately. For a couple of years now I have been waging a war on “stuff”. I have gotten rid of some of the stuff taking up space in my basement and have cleaned some closets, rooms and cupboards until they are almost empty. My goal is to have less but “stuff” keeps finding it’s way into my home. Some comes in through the mail, some from relatives who want to get rid of stuff and some of it I actually pay for. Having my office in my home doesn’t help either.
As a Realtor I cringe when the young home buyer wonders what they will put in a particular room. They seem to feel as though they need to fill the space which is a rookie mistake we all make.
I imagine them in ten years wanting a bigger house because they have too much stuff or in twenty years when their basement and closets look like mine do now.
There is no greater joy than an empty room, or a room with little in it. It is possible to have enough closet space.
We spend a lot of time and money on stuff. We work for it and buy houses to put it in and even rent storage space for the extra stuff that we don’t have room for.
In 2012 I will getting rid of more stuff and I will be writing about what I got rid of and how I did it. Getting rid of stuff isn’t about storage solutions it is about having less to store.
Do you need to get rid of stuff?
I Wrote this for twenty somethings a couple of years ago: Mom and Dad’s Basement about children who move out and leave stuff behind.
Sometimes less is more. Happy New Year!
yes less is more. Happy New Year!
Hi T.
I waited until I could follow the link to the original post.
So, did you have to write it twice?
I had to laugh, because many of the snowbirds coming from your neighborhood bring all of the stuff from the basement and attic when they move here to a town that has neither. There was a family that supported two generations building garage cabinets for them.
Yup that stuff costs money but apparently it creates jobs too so it isn’t all bad.
Try doing this every new year. Go through your house and box up items you haven’t used in the past two years. Label the boxes with the contents and date, then store them someplace. If you haven’t had the need for any of these items by the time the next new year rolls around, get rid of them and make room for the next wave of non-used items.
I like that idea. . . but only if a person remembers to get rid of the boxes in the next year. Happy new year!