Anyone living the Minimalism / Reducing "Stuff" and Sparking Joy life?

Sprunkn7

I live in a small apartment and my bf told me we need a storage unit.  Yes, we have a lot of stuff.  And yes, I am sick of so much said "stuff" but really? A storage unit?  I think items will get put in there and be forgotten except once a month when I have to pay a bill for a place to put shit I don't really care about? 
Before the holidays suck me into the rabbit hole of decorations, cooking, baking, gift giving and more "stuff"  I want to try to get a grip and maybe save myself $150 from getting a stupid storage unit.  I admit I like my things, but some of it has to go.  I am not a hoarder in the sense you see on TV.  but  I have drawers filled with items I don't use, don't display and probably would forget they were there unless I was digging around looking for another item I know I have "somewhere". 
I'm not looking to have 2 plates, 2 forks, one table and one pair of shoes.  I'm just looking to cut back on my possessions which seemed to have found their way in, but not their way out!

Anyone have the same problem or any suggestions? 

Fifthelement

We’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff over the past few years, particularly in the past few months.  Tbh, it felt great getting rid of so much stuff including clothes, books, linens, pillows, blankets, etc.  Cleaned out the pantry and cupboards as well.  It’s amazing how much lighter you feel with less stuff.

Donated pretty much everything to second-hand shops and homeless shelters.  Tried to give extra pillows to the local spca, but apparently they couldn’t accept them.  Ended up giving them a homeless shelter instead.

We usually do a purge when we’re packing to move and when we unpack, but this last purge was “unprovoked.” it just felt like time to let go of things we’d been hauling back and forth across the country for decades.  We kept a lot that was important to us right now, but I’m sure we’ll be cleaning out more stuff over the next few years.

Tips:  be honest with yourself when assessing whether or not to keep it and then be brutal.

donate, donate, donate!!  Toiletries such shampoos, conditioners and toothpaste, etc.  we’re greatly appreciated at one of our shelters here.  

Btw, we still have a lot of stuff.  Good luck.

Wobbie

I literally think no one should have a storage unit, unless they are in some sort of housing, marital, etc. transition.

when my wife and I moved to a new state 9 years ago, I got a 20 yard dumpster to get rid of CRAP we had accumulated in the previous 17 years. we donated anything anyone else could use. I also invited a packrat friend over and he took all kinds of “garage stuff.” when I cleaned out my mom’s house following her death, everything was either dumped, donated or auctioned.

hedonist

I do a sweep-through every couple of years (OK, maybe twice every decade).  But I start small...just work on one area of the closet, or the kitchen cabinets, or that catch-all drawer.

Ageed with Fifth, it's liberating - and makes you realize how much SHIT we have that we don't need...or that others can use.

deadendp

We are planning on a big move in about 4 years. It is slow going, but that's our plan. Our (unrealistic) goal is to move only with what M and I can move together. There will be no storage unit. I promise. 

tempo_n_groove

Transitioning right now so I have a storage unit.

I want to sell every damn thing in it...

hauntingfamiliar

tempo_n_groove said:

Transitioning right now so I have a storage unit.

I want to sell every damn thing in it...

X2 

MayDay10

Swedish Death Cleaning

I looked into it for 5 minutes and it inspired me to get rid of a lot of clutter.

Sometimes its tough to let go, but its liberating.

SD48277

This is an ongoing thing for me. Continually trying to simplify. It does feel good to get rid of stuff. The less I have, the less I have to take care of. 

SmallestOceans

“Have you ever noticed how somebody else’s stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff”
https://youtu.be/4x_QkGPCL18

Wobbie

SmallestOceans said:

“Have you ever noticed how somebody else’s stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff”
https://youtu.be/4x_QkGPCL18

“move your shit, so I can put my stuff here.”

F Me In The Brain

When we moved from CA to NJ we had lived in a 1 BR apartment and the 1,100 square foot place was stuffed with items.  (Lived in that place for 7 years)

Packed everything in a pod and our small SUV and sent the pod back, while we drove around the country and made our way to NJ eventually.

Lived in a 3BR apt for 7 months in NJ (one room was pretty much boxes all in it, stuff we did not even use for 7 months) while we waited to find the house we loved -- found it, bought it, moved our stuff in.  4,000 sq ft and we laughed at how empty the house looked.

6 years later and the house is pretty much filled up.

Disgusting to me -- but my wife is a pack rat and celebrates when she "clears out" stuff to donate and/or trash.  (Great, but a very small amount.)

Not much that would be me greater pleasure than to go through and thin everything out....but it would freak her out, so there is no way that is happening.

Good for those who can keep shit to a minimum.  Think it is admirable.

bootlegger10

I am single with no kids so tough to amass too much stuff, but I went through and purged a lot of stuff a year ago.  I have also been selling about 80% of my Pearl Jam collection.  Unless there is some deep family or memory connection to an item, as important as you think it is you will unlikely regret giving it up if you ever even think of it again. You can even throw family stuff away.  If you think your relatives will throw it out after you are gone when they are clearing the house out, then why would you wait if the only reason is feeling guilty.   Box of birthday cards and holiday cards went to the trash.

A few months ago I was really looking forward to throwing stuff out and was let down as I already pretty much threw everything out that wasn’t being used often.  

Fifthelement

bootlegger10 said:

I am single with no kids so tough to amass too much stuff, but I went through and purged a lot of stuff a year ago.  I have also been selling about 80% of my Pearl Jam collection.  

Unless there is some deep family or memory connection to an item, as important as you think it is you will unlikely regret giving it up if you ever even think of it again. You can even throw family stuff away.  If you think your relatives will throw it out after you are gone when they are clearing the house out, then why would you wait if the only reason is feeling guilty.   Box of birthday cards and holiday cards went to the trash.

A few months ago I was really looking forward to throwing stuff out and was let down as I already pretty much threw everything out that wasn’t being used often.  

This, exactly!  We don’t have kids either, so that’s pretty much our thought process.  If it’s something you’d like to pass on, why wait?  I admit though, I have three sets of china that I’ve inherited.  They’re lovely, and I do use them when we have guests over to dinner, but I will probably get rid of them eventually as well

Sprunkn7

Good inspiration!  I started with my car.  I read that somewhere.  I chucked everything that  was just hanging around in there.  There wasn't too much crap, but how many napkins do I need in the glove box?  I have shopping bags that I have accumulated and I don't need them all.  It's the next thing to get the once over.  We now have to pay for paper bags (10 cents a bag, Uh no.)  and there is no plastic in my town.  I have been using reusable bags for years and now the whole floor behind my driver seat has a big bag full of bags!  LOL.  I'll do those first thing tmr am.
Last year I did get rid of winter clothes when I packed them away for summer. When I brought them up I noticed I got rid of a lot! I could actually carry the bag without breaking my ass.  If I didn't wear it last year it went. I'll do the same with my summer clothes, and maybe weed out the winter ones when I put them out too.
I don't know if I can do a Capsule Wardrobe but that peaks my interest.  I wear scrubs to work so thats easy.  I also find I wear the same clothes all the time anyway, so why keep all the ones I don't wear?  I'll get serious and go through my closet on Sunday.

We have lived here almost 20 years.  Really it's a miracle we don't have "stuff" falling on our heads.  I'm pretty determined to clean out something everyday. I have Halloween to pack up ( we have a lot of decorations for this and Christmas)  but it's not overwhelmiing and it all has it's place. To pack it up it all has a  tote to go into and a home in our storage area downstairs. What I have def brings me Joy so none of it needs to go. The costumes however are starting to take up room.  Maybe I need to Ebay my Bunny Suit (from A Christmas Story) I wore a few years ago.  Hahaha.

brianlux

I've gone in circles this way.

As a kid, we had very little.  My folks put pennies, nickles and dimes in a cast iron cat piggy bank they called "The Kitty".  A few times a year when The Kitty was full enough we had Chinese food to go and it was like a party.  Life was good.

By the time I was in high school, my family was comfortably middle class. 

When I left home in my late teens I went to college for a while then dropped out and worked minimum wage jobs and lived on cigarettes, cheap wine, beans and rice.

When I got it together and went back and finished college I went on to do well enough to own a house and two cars.

When my ears got trashed from an explosion, I went straight to the bottom, living in my vehicle, a few goes at crappy  apartments, and had few possessions.  Having few possessions was the best part of those years.

When I got some help and got it together again, I re-built up my personal library of books and records and bought a few nice guitars and got to the point of, "What more could I ask for?!"  Now, when I acquire a new book or record I go through what I have and move one or two or three things on.  One book in, one or two or three books out.  Records- pretty much one record in, one record out.  Now days, reducing stuff for me isn't so much about loss as it is refinement.  Less and better is best.

vogonpoetbythelake

I could definitely do with a vinyl catch one release ten program...my vinyl collection if I can even call it that started with 45's about 45 years ago... màny are weather weary and strictly mementos at this point...

Sprunkn7

My clothes are next on the hit list.  I'm told if I take all the clothes from my drawers and closet and pick my most favorite go to items I can figure out my Style.  LOL. I'm afraid I'm stuck in the 90's!  Well, I am who  I am right?  I am not looking to make a Capsule Wardrobe I"ll try to be hard core and throw the crap.  No Pearl Jam shirts are going (Yet!)