We're moving soon and my boyfriend suggested going through Every item this weekend to see what we can get rid of. As a minimalist I'm extremely excited about this.
SO JEALOUS
At -some point- in the next year or so we will be moving into our guest suite to renovate our house (it was derelict when we bought it, so I get to keep my MMM credentials I think, despite the ridiculouslness of a guest suite. We only have 1 bedroom, so it's not as crazy as it sounds)
Anyway, obviously I'm excited about making the house properly habitable. But I am actually more excited about the 'fresh start' when it comes to stuff! Instead of 'moving in', I plan to just go to the guest suite, and come back to the house for every single thing I need. At the end of a month or so, I should have a very clear idea of what I am not using!
Out of season clothes won't count, of course, but I am sooooo looking foward to this!
Iowajes, many congrats, very happy for you.
I've decided that a few items with residual value, which I was pressuring myself to try to sell on ebay for some $$, are better off being put in a laundry tub as a pile of "things I will offer guests when they come over". As in, maybe one of the girls coming over for dinner this Friday will want an as-new Fossil handbag? Maybe next time my family comes over someone will want this Tupperware flask? etc.
I think that this will mean things *actually leave the house* whereas "I'm going to list it on ebay someday" meant they never did. And donating is great, but if this plan works out I think it will be more rewarding than donating because I get to SEE that someone wants something and will use it.
This is a nice idea, but beware creating an obligation for friends and family. Why do you need to see that they will use it? I have had this conversation with my husband. He said, "Let's give it to so and so! It will be nice to know they want it!", and I said, "If we donate we can be -sure- they want it, because they have chosen it and paid money for it". You can be sure your stuff will be put to good use, when someone selects it specially, you know? I'm not trying to criticise, just... people have given me things and expected to see me use them, and it creates an expectation, a burden. If you give something away, just give it away.
And more updates, because I've been away for a while:
I used to buy lots of stuff in bulk. I stopped, oh, over a year ago. I calculated I still have TWO YEARS of tampons in stock. And worst of all, they are not my preferred brand. Ugh.
My husband rang the other day to ask if we needed batteries. I did a check, and said no, we've got 6 of that type. He was worried, "I should get some more!". I said, "No, we don't store stuff anymore! The shop stores it for us!". He didn't buy them.
The following day (literally!) a device which uses 4 batteries ran out. I replaced them. Husband was very worried that now we have only 2 batteries! I was like, "we checked, we had sufficient. Now we know we need some more, so I will put them on the list. This is the system WORKING". I think he is coming round!