# starting over kind of....



## sandave88 (Aug 21, 2005)

We recently moved to a much smaller home and are soon to be on our land(house not built yet). Well I am trying to downsize and rid my life of unwanted/unneeded items. I have even rid my house fo all Christmas decorations except homemade items. Trying to get back to the earth and simplify. Its just I need some input as to how to start. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.....What do we all really need to live? Mom of two kids and two dogs along with my husband.....


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2009)

When we moved last year we had to go through the house and pick up literally every item and say, "Do I want to pay to store this and then pay to move it?" That's incentive!

In order to make the house more marketable we had to take all of the junk out and make it look like a monestary....well, it felt like that to us! No junk, no clutter and nothing that's messy. Tall order wheny ou have 6 kids!

Start small. Pick a closet. Take everything out and then put back only what fits NOW. Sell, toss or donate the clothes you'll fit in "some day" or that you wore 20 pounds ago. Same with the out of season clothes. Store them. LET IT GO. You'll be surprised at what you keep. 

If you take small steps and keep only what you truely love or need, you'll be decluttered in no time!


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## pinemead (Jan 18, 2003)

This is the best way to declutter! We really don't need very much to live, the problem is figuring out what we need. As Tonya said, start small and keep at it. It'll happen before you know it!


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

Take a good look at the space around you. How much have you shoved into it for lack of anywhere else to put something? Have you actually used what you shoved there? If not, get rid of it. Open the trunk of the car or back the truck up to the door. Load it all out to good will. A person really only needs about 2 weeks worth of clean clothes per season. Good books, movies, etc. All those things you are storing for adult kids? Make them come and get them this weekend, or they are trash. Watch what your kids play with. If they don't use something in 3 or 4 weeks, ask them to donate it. 

The most important thing in downsizing is to start small so that you don't get overwhelmed. Pick a closet and start there. Get out your keep, toss and sell boxes and sort every single item in that closet ONE TIME. Then put away the keep stuff and take the rest out of the house that day. You can do one room in a week if you keep on like that. If there are things you truly love, keep them. If you look at it and say "I wondered where that was" then you really don't need it.

Good luck!


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