Oh, my word. I love this story. Even if you aren’t downsizing any time soon, the way she uses the Container Concept is so logical and inspiring! I asked if I could share this story with you and Karen gave me permission.
Dana,
Within the next year, I hope to be moving into a retirement community. 2400 sq ft to about 1000. I’m using the time to winnow my stuff down and decide what I want to–or can–keep, what my kids might want, what can get donated to best effect where, and what is just trash.I’m here to tell you is that the container concept is proving to be invaluable as I make decisions. For example, I know from having looked at units in the retirement community that I will have a decent sized closet and room for my dresser and nightstand. So. Do all my socks fit in the sock drawer? Yes. Only need to winnow if I get more. Same with sweaters, t-shirts, etc.In other words, I have the containers I will have and that’s what I have to work with. If clothing and accessories don’t fit easily into the containers I will have, decisions have to be made. Right now, I’m pretty sure the linear space I’m using in my current closets is about what I’ll have, so winnowing is not critical, but is ongoing –there is a box in the garage of clothes I plan to put in the rummage sale. I recently figured out a special container for reusable grocery bags–I won’t have a tub in the garage, so the hanging purse bag will have to hold them … and only up to the number that fit tidily.Similarly, I have reasonable confidence about the number of bookcases I’ll be able to have. So, I have been pulling books, pictures in frames, knick-knacks off the current bookshelves, working to fit onto only the shelves in the bookcases I will be moving. This means I have some empty shelves now.Moving on to the laundry/cleaning supplies. All the units at the community have a washer/dryer space with three shelves about three feet long and a foot wide (I measured). Will what I have in my laundry area fit there? Yes. What about cleaning supplies? No. The answer is to pitch what I’m not likely to use, use up any multiples of supplies, and consider what I really need.One of the things I really like about the container concept is that it doesn’t demonize having “too many” of something; they are only “too many” if they overflow. So I happily keep my dozen rubber scrapers, as they all fit in their container, along with pancake turners and other things used to stir or scrape food.And I will work on moving what’s in the “Costco corner” in the garage (a reasonable solution). There will not be a Costco corner in my new home; I need to empty this one by using stuff up and replenishing if it fits in the space I will have. The extra dish detergent? Yes, fits under the sink with the one currently in use. 5 more scouring powder cans? Nope. Use them up; give them to the kids, keeping one.Next up? The junk drawer. Or drawers. I live on three levels and do not want to go downstairs for whatever little item I need upstairs. So I have random junk drawers scattered throughout the house. I will declutter and condense these into one as I prepare for the future.On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being absurdly cluttered, I’m about a 4. I will be moving to a smaller container and will be decluttering what will not fit.In the decluttering, as I empty a storage bin, I’ve been reusing them for new categories, or to replace a cardboard box. I’m getting close to being able to use no longer needed plastic tubs as the boxes to take stuff to the rummage sale. That’s when I know I’m really making progress!The side benefit is that I’m getting even more orderly space here, making it ever easier to see where more has to be done.Love your videos …. and I do watch all the way to the end because I love getting Reid’s response to your question. I think you’re the only one of all the “decluttering” YouTubers I take notes on … and quote to other people.Karen
This is so very smart, and what I especially love is how Karen emphasizes that as she proceeds, THERE WILL BE SOME EMPTY SPACE. I feel like this is key so that people won’t try to re-fill that space during this process. I want to think of it now as true breathing space, as someone who had crammed her prior home to the absolute gills over the 16 years we lived there, just because I used to think of empty space as a void demanding filling. Imagine moving out of a place like that. Maybe not hoarder level, but frankly heading towards it, and I feel blessed now that we moved to a home that had a fifth the storage space of our prior home. Having a 4/5th’s haircut was the shock treatment needed to reverse course and live more thoughtfully and with far more freedom and serenity. Knowing what I now know, I no longer have to live by shock treatment standards. I can just maintain that serenity with letting empty space be.
Yes, even cheap reusable shopping bags with peeling screen-printed logos on them, such ugly things. I was getting ready to stuff them in a donate box and then realized, I need to fill them up first.
I did that with last donation, filling containers with useful items I no longer use.
I look forward to empty and/or cabinets or closets lightly containing items. I/we need to get this house in order. Both husband and I are no longer young and leaving this overfilled house for our sons and wives to have to deal with would be so rude, knowing the excess we had to deal with his and my parents. And still have excess from his parents – this was their home.
We had a fire go through our farm property and many others this summer. Fire crews from across the state were here day or night for a week to put out and cut down trees that continued to flare up. Our house and son’s house on the farm survived. Other stuff is covered with insurance. Some stuff in outbuildings that were burned were not insured so total loss.
One of our rural neighbors lost two homes, one occupied with a newly married young couple. They are back home with his widowed mom (huge house) temporarily.
The other day while listening to a person’s review on John 9, he mentioned the ‘fires’ we go through to learn and grow.
Then it hit me, I can imagine my house was a total loss, and before asking, “Where would I look for this first,” I will ask, “Would I replace this item?” So many ‘Nope’s.’
Thank you for the years you’ve dedicated to spreading this message of hope either from your experience or fellow readers. Thank you, Karen and Andrea.