Sometimes you’re changing jobs, sometimes you’re moving to a smaller place, sometimes you find yourself either adding on a child or having one move out. Whatever the reason, you may realize that you’ve ended up with too much stuff. And the idea of going through it all to decide what should stay and what should go can be daunting. But to make an easier job of it, just take it one step at a time with the tips below:
· Clothes - Start going through all of your clothes and try on every piece. And we mean every piece. Don’t just guess that it fits and keep it. If you don’t fit in it anymore, can’t remember why you bought it, or haven’t felt like wearing it for the past year, it needs to go.
· Appliances - Nifty appliances aren’t as nifty if they’re never being used. If you can’t remember the last time you plugged something in or you know you haven’t used it in the last year, it’s only collecting dust and taking up space for something you may find more useful.
· Media - When was the last time you read that book or watched that DVD? Just about everything can go if you haven’t read or watched it in the past year. To keep your media from taking over your place again in the future, just make use of your local library. You can borrow virtually anything from them and then just give it right back. It’ll save you tons of money in the long run, too!
· Furniture – Look at all of the furniture in your home, one piece at a time, and ask yourself two things: 1) Is this a piece I use regularly, and 2) Is this a piece that easily contributes to the room’s ambiance and style? If you can’t answer “yes” to one of these questions, the furniture is useless to you and should go.
· Cars - If you’re not driving anymore or otherwise find yourself with more cars than people, you’ll want to start thinking about selling. If one or more cars are just sitting in your garage, you’re paying insurance fees for no good reason while taking up valuable space.
· Off-Site Storage - Anything in off-site storage should automatically be sold or donated. If it doesn’t fit in your home, then there’s no reason for you to keep it. There’s a reason you took these things out of your home in the first place. The general rule here is if it wasn’t important or essential enough to keep in your home, then it’s not important or essential enough to hold on to.
Downsizing your possessions isn’t hard once you know what to look for. Just make sure to always give yourself plenty of time to go through everything and always keep your desired end result in mind. If you ever need help downsizing either in the labor or decision-making process, be sure to contact Caring Transitions and one of our friendly, knowledgeable professionals can come take the stress off your hands.