# Have any of you downsized significantly, and how'd you do it?



## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

My situation is that I have more then I want, and also more then I use. I bought my house in a tiny town not quite 2.5 yrs ago. It was a decent deal, and I also got all the contents. It has 5 rooms downstrs, and I use 3 (one is lrg laundryrm, so have to use.) I only use1 bdrm upstrs. I have a school building on property that's almost as big as the house, and has electric, a pellet stove, but no water. It's in good shape but just sitting there coz I've never figured out what I should do with it!

I've got a newer SUV that I don't like that much....not nearly as much as the little Trax that I traded in on it. I wanted a small truck coz I loved my Ranger, but they don't make trucks in my size anymore! Lol!

Got a fair amount of antique furniture.in great shape, but it's not really my style, and all that stuff is HEAVY!

Don't get me wrong....I'm blessed! But I don't need all this. The town has changed, and my living expenses went way up. I'd like to retire, but feel stuck with all this.

The happiest I ever was, was at a place I had in the country along Raccoon Creek in souther Ohio. I still have some family there.

I'd be happy in a 1 room cabin, or even a singleside trailer on an acre or two, with a decent used little truck.

Did YOU Chuck it all in on a simpler lifestyle, and if so, how'd you do it, and are you happier now?

I've considered living with 1 or 2 people in need but don't know how to find someone. Worried about drugs, alcohol, mental issues, etc....Don't want somebody who's lazy or will tear up my house.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Do not let people in your house. 

Clean up antiques. Sell them. 

Get rid of a vehicle if you don’t like it. Buy a good, well maintained used vehicle that you like. 

Get the property you have prepped to sell. Start looking for the property you really want.


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## Bob M. (Nov 5, 2018)

you can always contact a auction house and have them do a auction on it all, and just restart.

I agree with Alice above, for myself. I live how I want to live without others interfering or getting in my way, frankly. but that is me...you may be different. if you want people to stay with you and are ok with it, then do it. make sure they are the right people, though. and always get more than you think you deserve in compensation, with real rules and boundaries, and protections for yourself.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Bob, Who has lice? lol ME, I just loaded up my trailer 2 times of stuff I didn't need, or thought so, and took them out to the sale. Trailer was/is 10X20


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## JohnP (Sep 1, 2010)

Yeah, be real careful on that last thing.

We downsized but I wouldn't recommend anyone do it like we did. Let's just say we lived very primitive for a while. 

Take your time getting rid of stuff and get a good price for it. I gave a lot of stuff away or simply left it behind that I wish I still had or at least got money for.

Yeah, I wish they'd make more mid size trucks. Some of the Tacomas are decent sized and Toyotas are good vehicles. They're like little Chevys. LOL I'm a Chevy guy and working on a Toyota just seems kind of the same for some reason.

Try to stay away from payments as much as you can. I made payments on a vehicle and vowed to never do it again. Of course, I can work on vehicles so that helps. Get something common that pretty much any mechanic can work on. I know the S-10s are small but as an example, they made them from 82-93 and they didn't change much in that whole time. Even when they rounded them off, they still used the same frame. 

I'm not much into Dodges but I had a Dakota for a little while and it was just the right size. Not sure why they weren't more popular and don't know if they were considered a lemon or had problems or what.

I'd stay away from trailers. They're thin and most have no real attic so they're hard to keep warm/cool. The long thin layout affects that too and they seem smaller than they are due to that long layout with one long hall. 

You could get a cabin built with 2x6s for studs which would give you 6 inch walls for better insulation. A square or cube is the most energy efficient shape but even getting close to square would work. 24x30 would be a decent size. If you could put it on a slab with radiant floor heating that would be da bomb.

The school building sounds interesting. Got any pics? Is it in an area you like?


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## Bob M. (Nov 5, 2018)

FarmboyBill said:


> Bob, Who has lice?


haha...oops Alice...don't agree with lice at all, but Alice is decided more agreeable....


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Bob M. said:


> haha...oops Alice...don't agree with lice at all, but Alice is decided more agreeable....


Homer reading from a book-
"A Corn fell from the sky and hit me on the head, knocking me to the ground. What must I do?"
"That's "'Acorn'" you idiot!"


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## SLADE (Feb 20, 2004)

I got divorced it really helped me to decide what was important in my life. Way less crap.


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## Farmerjack41 (Jun 6, 2017)

My situation is somewhat the same. Have much more than I need, but up to this point can not bring myself to downsize. What does an Ole guy need with a 1900 sq ft house, but it is home. We built it in the early 80's, has always been kept up and updated. 

Could be happy living in my motor home. It is 41 ft long with four slide outs, but will not work well in the middle of the winter when temperature is zero or below. Yes, could go south, but cannot handle that for more than a month! Toooo many old people ! I would still have to have my shop to work and spend time in. Would still want at least one acre of ground, need to have a garden spot. Can't get away from playing in the dirt. Hope ever have to face selling my farm, but no doubt that time will show its ugly face.

Guess gettin old ain't for some of us. 

Hope you are able to finds happy medium. Life is to short to not enjoy it.


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## roadless (Sep 9, 2006)

I have downsized quite a bit.

This includes things like towels, linens and dishes....it seemed silly to have so many when I live alone and others could use them.
My home is about 600 square feet and I don't like things cluttered...
I guess I got to a point where I felt like my things owed me, so I sold ,donated or gave away things that I don't use or enjoy.

I have been checking out tiny homes lately too....they make my small home look huge!
I would love to have one on my property and rent my home for income but I don't think it is allowed in my town.
It would be great to have a few tiny homes on a rural property of like minded people.....


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

We sold almost everything before we moved back to the farm. I used an estate auction firm. They sold it all like they do when someone dies. A lot of folks got some good deals.

You get pennies on the dollar to it this way.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

The auctioneers in southern Missouri charge 10%. Here in the Austin area, estate sale companies get 50%.


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## JohnP (Sep 1, 2010)

SRSLADE said:


> I got divorced it really helped me to decide what was important in my life. Way less crap.


We moved half way across the country without a moving truck. That works pretty good too, although I did get a 14 foot box truck which towed a car trailer with our Blazer on it. Had all our light stuff in the box with the exception of an old 800 lb garden tractor. My wife drove that and I drove an old tow truck hauling a 28 foot 5th wheel that had all our other stuff in it including my tools and small equipment. I had to be running 15,000 lbs. Tow truck had sat for 9 years and box truck for 4 years when I bought them. Had to cut some saplings that were growing through the engine compartment of the tow truck as the hood had been left open. All the fuel tanks were rusted and would get past the filters into the carbs. Filter would clog quick. I had three carbs and rotated and cleaned them along the way. Every stop we made, I would swap a carb and every night we stopped, I would disassemble and clean at least one of them and put new filters on both rigs.

We each had a CB so we could talk. Didn't have any handles when we started but I became Mr Chugs because I was chugging up hills, dropping down to 1st gear at times and the box truck burned quite a bit of oil and also leaked it on the exhaust so she became Mrs Puffs(cartoon character from spongebob - puffer fish)

Arkansas State trooper pulled us over thinking she was one fire. Heck of a nice guy. Then we got going again and the wife's rig ran out of fuel on a nasty curve on a hill on hwy 63. Trooper pulled up behind us with the lights on while I refuelled from a can. The top of the hill was the AR/MO border.

good times, good times


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Bob M. said:


> Alice is decided more agreeable....


As long as you have a pocket full of Snickers for her to snort...


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

I moved 2000 miles with no idea of where I would settle. That really brought me up short on how much not needed "stuff" and "to do projects" I had. Now I purge yearly. If there's any hesitation over do I or do I not want it - out it goes.
I just purged my christmas decorations before I put them away this year.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

House fire 21 years ago did major downsizing. Divorce 8 years later downsized the balance on credit card bills considerably, removed mortgage, paid off vehicles, and increased my bank account. Found ebay and stocked up on more than enough replacements for what was lost of china, crystal and silver patterns of my parents and grandparents. Have a pretty impressively stocked closet area. Boots, hats, shirts and wranglers. Take care of em and still buy more when I see something new I like. Plenty of younguns to share the loot when I'm gone. The clothing will make it to others and still be used. It is quality. Children and grandchildren already have favorite items in my collections. Everything, almost, I have bought can be readily used or sold for what I paid for it. I got lots of pseudo kids and grandkids as well to spread it around. I'm enjoying what I have, family has pretty much same taste,


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## Clem (Apr 12, 2016)

I threw a bunch of crap in a gully, to stop some erosion. A couple years later, all the crap was covered with the dirt, etc. that was washing away!! I added some land to my place!! 

so, I threw a bunch more junk in there. No plastic, or electronic stuff that might leech into the soil, but furniture and metal stuff. 

I also gave away about 3 tons of scrap metal. Now, I have about that much again, and it's currently priced at $130 per ton. I'll call the same fellow again.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

BFF, have you considered what a Snickers snort would look like?


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> BFF, have you considered what a Snickers snort would look like?


Now you have placed the image in my mind of BFF with a candy bar up his nose!


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Do not let people in your house.
> 
> Clean up antiques. Sell them.
> 
> ...


Thanks Alice, for your input.
I don't have to do anything to the antiques, they're in great shape. I do know a lady in town that ran an antiques shop that would love to buy them, but even she admitted that she wants to make a profit, but that she knew a couple other dealers that might give me a better price, so maybe I should start there.
I probably owe too much on the car to be able to sell it, so I'm probably stuck there.

I have a 1930's Cape Cod style house, and the furnishings fit the time period. It might not look as charming empty, but it probably would be good to start purging anyway.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

Bob M. said:


> you can always contact a auction house and have them do a auction on it all, and just restart.
> 
> I agree with Alice above, for myself. I live how I want to live without others interfering or getting in my way, frankly. but that is me...you may be different. if you want people to stay with you and are ok with it, then do it. make sure they are the right people, though. and always get more than you think you deserve in compensation, with real rules and boundaries, and protections for yourself.


I've had 2 good roommate situations, but I moved into THEIR place. This time I'd be bringing someone into MY home, and that's a little scarey! I would love to have the company though, with the right person. But I'm not sure I want to stay in this town.
I think I'm really more interested in moving on, and greatly reducing expenses. I really feel the pull to simplify my life.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

FarmboyBill said:


> Bob, Who has lice? lol ME, I just loaded up my trailer 2 times of stuff I didn't need, or thought so, and took them out to the sale. Trailer was/is 10X20


Actually, if I wanted to auction off the contents, I could probably sell it all out of my school building. There's an auction house here in town, but I'm not sure I'd get top dollar for the antiques...it's a tiny town.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

SRSLADE said:


> I got divorced it really helped me to decide what was important in my life. Way less crap.


Its amazing how much a person can collect in a few years . Went through the same situation. LOL

I started my downsizing after my soon to be ex wife and I loaded up her U-Haul trailer the day after she moved out because after telling her not to forget to go by my attorney's office to sign her half of the no contest divorce petion, I asked when she was coming back to get the rest of her clothes, wall art. bric-a-brac and such and she said she had it all culled through and was taking all she wanted and laughed at me when she told me if I wanted the rest of her stuff out of my house I could play Louie the Garbage Man from Chico and the Man and haul it off myself.

The next day a friend who ran a consignment store brought his large Wells Cargo trailer and I hitched my dump bed trailer to my pick up and we loaded the Wells Cargo with the sellable stuff and the dump trailer with the stuff he couldn't sell at his store and in six or 7 hours we had half of my house cleared out and he kept the cargo trailer loaded and I kept the dump trailer in my storage building until the signed divorce decree was final status stamped and all her left behind junk was legally defined as abandoned property by a clause in the decree.

With my copy of the divorce decree safely stored away , I called him to start putting what he had stored into his inventory and I went to the dump to empty my dump bed trailer of the rest of the crap she left here.

Two years later he finally sold the last of her second hand merchandise and we split the profit with him taking 70% instead of his usual 50% because instead of me bringing it to his store , he came here to do the majority of heavy lifting as we emptied four rooms and he did most of the empty room clean sweep out for me.

Almost two decades later, despite my using three of the rooms we emptied for my personal pursuits, the fourth is still empty most of the time unless I need to use it for a climate controlled storage area.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

some good advice here, except one.
do NOT clean up the antiques or anything you suspect is an antique.. If you plan on selling the antiques, cleaning them up will adversly affect the price.. 
Contact an antique dealer for price quotes.
If they are the right antiques, he might buy them from you..
If you sell as much as you can. make sure you end up with enough to build that 24x36 energy efficient house.
stay away from multilevel structure. You are not getting younger. stairs are hell on us older people.
If I had it to do over, I would build a big pole building with radiant floor heat throughout. and living quarters at one end of it..
I visited such a place and it was awesome..
To answer your question. for downsizing: I plan on dying and letting someone else take care of all the junk.. all 55 year's worth of collecting..


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

JohnP said:


> Yeah, be real careful on that last thing.
> 
> We downsized but I wouldn't recommend anyone do it like we did. Let's just say we lived very primitive for a while.
> 
> ...





JohnP said:


> Yeah, be real careful on that last thing.
> 
> We downsized but I wouldn't recommend anyone do it like we did. Let's just say we lived very primitive for a while.
> 
> ...


Last time I sold a place, I gave away a lot, plus had an auction at my place, and at the end, I donated 2 truckloads of stuff that was going to be auctioned off to raise money for a senior citizens place. They came and carted it all off, so I didn't have much furniture to move. What I had, I loaded in my truck and moved it myself. I did regret not keeping one item that I was partial to.
This time I need every dime, so I'll take my time and sell for the best price.

I posted pics here after I bought this house. It would have been sometime after Aug 2016, or possibly sometime in 2017. I think I titled it Pics Of Mayberry, and I came back and posted More Mayberry Pics. I tried to sift through old posts, but I was at work, and didn't find them. It shows the school, antiques, and everything. I used to really like this town...people are friendly here, but most of the things I liked about it have changed, and I don't feel the need to stay. None of my friends or family is here.

The last 2 vehicles were new, coz I can't work on cars, and my car guys moved. I needed the security of having everything warranteed for a few years. But the car payment and higher insurance is killing me.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

Also, I personaly dont have a problem with trailers....had one b4 and loved it.

Tacomas are cool...about the right size for me. I had a new Chevy Colorado, fire engine red....for 5 days. Dealer was good enough to take it back and let me get my SUV. THAT was just too much truck! I thought I'd have a hard time getting in and out of it in winter. If Ford made the Ranger in the original size, I'd have gotten another one.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> The auctioneers in southern Missouri charge 10%. Here in the Austin area, estate sale companies get 50%.


I've taken things to a couple auction houses several times, but I don't remember now what their cut was. One charge if you brought the stuff to them, higher if they came out and got it. That's been a while...back then I bungeed everything in the back of my truck and took it in myself.
I should check the rates of the place here in town.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

Bearfootfarm said:


> As long as you have a pocket full of Snickers for her to snort...


Hmmm..
There's a story in there that I don't know nothin' about!


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## JohnP (Sep 1, 2010)

Summerdaze7 said:


> The last 2 vehicles were new, coz I can't work on cars, and my car guys moved. I needed the security of having everything warranteed for a few years. But the car payment and higher insurance is killing me.


I can understand that. Women and old people are who unscrupulous repair shops will rip off big time and a good shop is hard to find.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

you do not have to use the small town auction house.
I would locate a reputable larger antique auction place.
they will put out advertising and auction buyers will travel long distances for their habit..


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## thesedays (Feb 25, 2011)

I moved from a house with a garage and a basement to my current 2BR apartment in 2012. As I was packing and sorting, I realized just how much stuff I had that I didn't use, and took a lot of it to a huge consignment store in the region and some some other items on Craigslist, most of it to a couple I knew whose daughter had just bought a house.


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## Bob M. (Nov 5, 2018)

Summerdaze7 said:


> But I'm not sure I want to stay in this town.
> I think I'm really more interested in moving on, and greatly reducing expenses. I really feel the pull to simplify my life.


Oh I hear ya, lil lady. The draw to just letting someone else(Even if it is god or fate) sort of take the wheel sometimes is pretty strong. stuff and situations are anchors really sometimes. Lord knows I have plenty of those anchors, myself. It must be nice to be a balloon full of helium...when the kid finally gets distracted and lets you fly away free haha.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

Yes, that's sort of how I feel....like I have anchors, but not necessarily in a good way. My "blessings" are feeling pretty stifling these days. I'd like to get out from underneath it all and get back to square 1.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> I plan on dying and letting someone else take care of all the junk.. all 55 year's worth of collecting..


I used to work with the elderly - and their adult children. 
The anger the children had over their deceased parents leaving all the sorting out and "cleaning up" to the kids made me decide never to do that with mine....


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

Wolf mom said:


> I used to work with the elderly - and their adult children.
> The anger the children had over their deceased parents leaving all the sorting out and "cleaning up" to the kids made me decide never to do that with mine....


That isn't necessarily true. It depends on the extent to which those children are engaged in the rat race. In my case, I had quite a bit to deal with cleaning out behind one grandmother. The only thing that really bothered me about it was having an aunt pushing me like a rented mule fresh out of the hospital with heart failure.


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## Bob M. (Nov 5, 2018)

Wolf mom said:


> I used to work with the elderly - and their adult children.
> The anger the children had over their deceased parents leaving all the sorting out and "cleaning up" to the kids made me decide never to do that with mine....


revenge for all the years the parents spent picking up after the little unappreciative snots, and changing their dirty diapers, I say. My mother can do pretty much any darn thing she wants to do and it'll be ok with me, as long as she takes as long as possible dying as she can.


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

Bob M. said:


> revenge for all the years the parents spent picking up after the little unappreciative snots, and changing their dirty diapers, I say. My mother can do pretty much any darn thing she wants to do and it'll be ok with me, as long as she takes as long as possible dying as she can.


Much truth here!

When I was caring for my grandmother through the process of worsening dementia, there were many times I would get to the point I felt like screaming, stop, and consider that once upon a time I must have been quite a handful for her.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Every family dynamic is different.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I've been downsizing for a couple years but I had over 70 years worth of stuff in the den to get rid of and none of it mine. I must say my den looks good now. the only thing left in there to get rid of is a record player and tons of records. I only listen to the radio myself. I took every thing down to VV or recycling place. some people around here have yard sales which I would be useless at.

I took a big heavy tv down to recycle yesterday. I did replace it with a smart tv but it is very small and light. I'm pretty well there now (except for the 2 sheds i have to sort over again)unless I sell my place for a smaller one. i was going to a couple years ago but I don't have any plans to any time soon. it is probably too big for just me but I like some space and I do have a nice garden and able to look after it and I've put a lot of money in it and still continuing to do so. the spot I have in the country is mostly mowing.

the hardest part I find about keeping up this place is weeding. bending over for hours. the rock garden is the hardest because it is on the side of a hill. I might just try to find someone to help this spring if I can find anyone that doesn't pull out plants with the weeds. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Georgia, I don't know what type plants grow well in your area, but around here, many people plant "carpet type" plants on small hills and un-mowable areas of their yard. I think creeping juniper is often used, along with other "creepers", and even mosses. Just get something that will not grow taller than what you want.

Mon


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

this is my rock garden FM and i do have low plants. bulbs, creeping phlox and stuff like that. i have pics here somewhere. it's a beautiful garden but does need some weeding in spring. the perennial bed is a lot easier. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

I LOVE phlox! Maybe a little more phlox would strangle/starve the offenders?

In any case, you'll probably have to look for an adult to get the weeds out...seems kids don't look for summer work like they used to.

Speaking of kids and weeds....I was about 11, had just come to live with my mother, and my stepfather took me out to the garden and told me to pull ALL the weeds in the corn. He said, if it's not corn, pull it.

The garden was about 2 acres, almost half in corn, so I got busy and was careful to do just what he said...exactly what he said, in fact. I was VERY careful to do a good job.

And I pulled EVERY single watermelon that had been planted there among the corn. 

Mon...yeah, going off subject....


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I've downsized twice over the years, it was pretty easy, the ex wives divorce layers handled everything.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

where you had divorce I had several deaths and being as there was no one else I was left to handle everything. ~Georgia


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

My mom passed away august of 2017.after doing for her for 10 years.in which I've down sized in 2 ways.one is i moved into a smaller place.plus i let go of some things of mine that i don't really need.quite a few of the things i let go of were hers.it was hard to do.but yet.it was easier compared to continue living where i was and holding on to what was hers.


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## LoneWolf1970 (Jan 9, 2019)

I didn’t fare to well with my first downsizing. My ex-wife got everything except my clothes, the judge even gave her both sets of tools to either one of my 2 trades. He gave her my $40,000 set of snap-on tools and my $1,300 set of chef’s knives. It almost cost me my freedom.

I went from living in a 3 bedroom house to living in a friends garage. I made it back to a stable life style, and then the second downsizing hit me. I again lost everything because of an illness. That was 4 years ago and I’m still struggling to get back on my feet. 

So I found the first one I could live with but this second one is kinda scary. They still don’t know what’s wrong with me, they thought it could have been because of my diabetes, but my symptoms are moving to fast for that. Then they thought it was lime disease, but a blood test said I didn’t have lime disease. Now we are back to square one and running every test and then some.

So take it how you will, you have a home, a vehicle, your health, and too much stuff. Not trying to sound like a bad person to say it nicely, but I would give almost anything to be in your shoes. 

And everyone else is right unless you really know the person don’t let anyone move in. And even if you do know them be careful because you could end up losing a friend. 

Good luck with your downsizing. 

As far as the school building goes do you have any pictures of it that you can post. I have a few ideas but to try and point you in the right direction I’d have to see it.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

LoneWolf1970 said:


> So I found the first one I could live with but this second one is kinda scary. They still don’t know what’s wrong with me, they thought it could have been because of my diabetes, but my symptoms are moving to fast for that. Then they thought it was lime disease, but a blood test said I didn’t have lime disease. Now we are back to square one and running every test and then some.


For some reason, I couldn't send you a PM. If you are near Roanoke, you should check out Dr Alicia Hollis. Best doctor I have ever had. I drive an hour and a half each way to see her.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I've been downsizing for the last 15 years and plan to at least 1 more time. I could easily live in a 500-700 sq ft house if I could find one in decent shape. The other idea I think might work for single seniors would be a house with mini suites plus a shared living room, dining room, and kitchen. Each suite would be like a motel room with bath, bed, microwave, refrigerator, TV, desk, sitting area, closet.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

when we downsized from 3000 square feet to 900 square feet; we put some things in storage, gave some away, sold some, and I got to know the guys at the dump on a first name basis. I don't do garage sales....I hate people showing up before the sun is up (even when you say it starts at 7:00 am) and then wanting to give me 25 cents for something I want a $1.00 for. I'd rather just throw it away then deal with people.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

hiddensprings said:


> when we downsized from 3000 square feet to 900 square feet; we put some things in storage, gave some away, sold some, and I got to know the guys at the dump on a first name basis. I don't do garage sales....I hate people showing up before the sun is up (even when you say it starts at 7:00 am) and then wanting to give me 25 cents for something I want a $1.00 for. I'd rather just throw it away then deal with people.


Facebook marketplace is a great way to sell things without the hassle of a garage sale.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

MoonRiver said:


> Facebook marketplace is a great way to sell things without the hassle of a garage sale.


Yep, I've used that our new place. It's far better than craiglist as well.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

lone wolf I don't know how the judge determined she should have your tools when it was your livelihood. my first husbands friend lost all of his in the divorce also but the wife cleaned them out of the shed while he was gone. he had another job though but he did carpentry in his spare time. took quite awhile to gather more. tools are so expensive. good luck with your health problems. maybe check out the doctor MR suggested. ~Georgia


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

We have never lived in a big house as we never wanted to be mortgage or tax and utility poor. But we have downsized several times as far as square footage and outbuildings go and certainly down sized possessions. As we are heading for full retirement we are making decisions of where we will live and this of course will determine possessions and size of house.

I am very organized and neat and thus am constantly downsizing things we no longer need or use. Lots of furniture. We mostly give these items away to friends and family as we have had the use and enjoyment of them for decades and they certainly earned their keep with us. I remember how great it was when friends and family and even neighbours handed down things to us when we were starting out.


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## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

I'm in the middle of planning a radical downsizing. 

Getting rid of everything that won't fit in an RV. I don't want to stay in Virginia; too expensive and I don't care for the political climate.

So, going to pack up my life into an RV and head for a promising area. That way I can plant myself in an RV park while checking out the area to see if it's a good fit. When I find area I'm happy with, I can take my time looking for the perfect piece of land, preferably with well and septic that I can plop my RV on.


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## LoneWolf1970 (Jan 9, 2019)

MoonRiver said:


> For some reason, I couldn't send you a PM. If you are near Roanoke, you should check out Dr Alicia Hollis. Best doctor I have ever had. I drive an hour and a half each way to see her.



Unfortunately I live in Norfolk VA. I don’t think I could get there lol. But thank you. I do know however that when I’m in the mountains it doesn’t effect me as much or I should say it didn’t get any worse when I was in Buckingham for almost 2 years. No not in prison either, funny thing about that is I didn’t even know that there was a prison there until I got back to Norfolk.


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## LoneWolf1970 (Jan 9, 2019)

As far as PMing me I’m kinda new to this site. I tried to make an open post to everyone and it told me to pick a name. So it’s just another guy and I talking about Freshwater pond raising blue crabs. I was trying to find out if anyone on the site had done it or was still doing it.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

LoneWolf1970 said:


> I didn’t fare to well with my first downsizing. My ex-wife got everything except my clothes, the judge even gave her both sets of tools to either one of my 2 trades. He gave her my $40,000 set of snap-on tools and my $1,300 set of chef’s knives. It almost cost me my freedom.
> 
> I went from living in a 3 bedroom house to living in a friends garage. I made it back to a stable life style, and then the second downsizing hit me. I again lost everything because of an illness. That was 4 years ago and I’m still struggling to get back on my feet.
> 
> ...


Please Don't get me wrong....I feel incredibly BLESSED. When I got this house, I got everything in it too! I've just found that I don't need or use all this. I really don't need a lot to be happy.


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## LoneWolf1970 (Jan 9, 2019)

About the antiques, I would store them in one part of the house, cover them with sheets if you can. That stops the dust eating away at the finish. And save them for a rainy day, especially if you don’t really need the money. 
You can also close the vent in rooms you don’t use and put plastic over the doors. It could get a little creepy at first, but once you get used to it you’ll notice the power bill will go down a lot. I got the idea from an old friend that actually sealed off most of his house doing that. When I went to visit him he just moved the plastic farther down the hall so I had my own room while I was there. I asked him why he did it and his answer was simple. He lost his wife to an illness, the kids never came to see him unless they needed money, and never stayed very long anyway. Plus he had a hard time trying to keep it clean. So I asked him why he didn’t just sell the place. He told me that his father and he built the house. And was never going to leave it.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

My downsizing was actually involuntary. Everything was moved out of the kitchen in preparation for the demolition/reconstruction of the badly damaged floor. The reconstruction is finished, and I've moved almost nothing back into the kitchen. I'm learning what is essential and what is clutter. Now. What to do with all the "stuff" shunted to another building before the repairs commenced?


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

nehimama said:


> My downsizing was actually involuntary. Everything was moved out of the kitchen in preparation for the demolition/reconstruction of the badly damaged floor. The reconstruction is finished, and I've moved almost nothing back into the kitchen. I'm learning what is essential and what is clutter. Now. What to do with all the "stuff" shunted to another building before the repairs commenced?


Dispose of it if you don't need it.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> Dispose of it if you don't need it.


It's a huge undertaking!


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

nehimama said:


> It's a huge undertaking!


Call the trash company, have them deliver a large dumpster, grab a couple high school kids wanting to earn a few bucks. Go shopping while they work. Problem solved.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> Call the trash company, have them deliver a large dumpster, grab a couple high school kids wanting to earn a few bucks. Go shopping while they work. Problem solved.


 Huh? Go shopping and buy more "stuff"?


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

nehimama said:


> Huh? Go shopping and buy more "stuff"?


Naw, just find someplace else to be while the kids fill the dumpster. That way it gets tossed instead of half of it being carted back in the house!


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## ridgerunner1965 (Apr 13, 2013)

one thing I have been doing to downsize. my work has a dumpster they freely allow us to use.

ive been trying to find one thing every day I work to throw away. it may be a old book ill never read again, a car part for a car ill never own agin or wont even remember I have if I need it. maybe a cardboard box I was saving for idk what!

old stuff that needs repaired but I never got around too. clothes I havnt worn in years and don't fit anymore. you get the idea.

eventually ill sell most of my guns as I only need a few for hunting.

Im by far not a hoarder but I don't want my kids to have to wade thru a sea of junk to get my estate settled. it will be my gift to them.


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## MoBookworm1957 (Aug 24, 2015)

I have completely read your thread.
Many good ideas here.
When I downsized several years ago, I only took things that made me happy.
Not because it was grandmother's, or parents or whoever.
Just the things that made me happy.
When I divorced it was easy.
I got 1 suitcase of clothes, car seat with my baby in it and a plane ticket back to Missouri, $ 50 cash.
Never looked back because everything left behind was stuff.
Missed some of the people but not the bs that went with it.
Last year did another purge.
If it didn't make me happy, it left. I don't need a lot of stuff.
Can't breathe with excess clutter.
Now have firm rule:
Something comes in my place, something has to go.
Cuts down on lot of stuff just sitting there taking up air space.
My youngest sister and youngest niece left with sewing machine, 5 -18 gallon totes of fabric, 5- 18 gallon totes of yarn, thread that was in Sterlite plastic container.
Donated 6 large black trash bags of yarn to National honor Society at local school for honors projects.
Donated furniture, dishes, appliances you name it I donated it.
DAV came and got 4 truckloads of stuff.
Just glad it's not here any longer. Somebody else can use it.


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## jimLE (Apr 18, 2018)

Use it for barter n trade.search for things you need.then use that stuff for barter n trade.they might come out ahead on the vaule of the items.but you'll be getting rid of what you don't. need.while getting what you do need



Yvonne's hubby said:


> Dispose of it if you don't need it.


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## thesedays (Feb 25, 2011)

IndyDave said:


> Much truth here!
> 
> When I was caring for my grandmother through the process of worsening dementia, there were many times I would get to the point I felt like screaming, stop, and consider that once upon a time I must have been quite a handful for her.


I realize this is not something all, or even most, people would or could do, but one of my Facebook friends, a woman I grew up with, moved her father in with her when he could no longer care for himself. (She did have some knowledge of "the system", and had a support network, which included her husband.) When asked why she did this instead of putting him in a nursing home, she said, "He did more for me than I could ever possibly do for him."


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