Tips for Downsizing

Photo courtesy of Van Cooper

You know those boxes that have been sitting in the attic for the last 25 years? Keepsakes, gift wrap, random wires you have no idea where they connect to? These boxes matter.

It becomes costly when moving, and every little thing does add up quickly. It may seem like a daunting task, but the relief you will have when you go from 12 large boxes of wasted space to 5 will be liberating (we promise 😊)

There are so many things that land on our shelves and gets tucked away in storage just because it “might be useful someday,” or because you simply don’t know what to do with it. RULE OF THUMB: If you haven’t used it in over a year, or if you see no immediate use for it in the coming six months, purge it from your life and give it away, sell it, or toss it in the trash. You may even want to have a garage sale, or sell items to a thrift store. Here’s a good list to remember when you come across the hard stuff:

1. A great rule of thumb is if it were gone tomorrow and you wouldn’t really miss it–toss it.

2. Pictures can be scanned and put to a CD/album. Throw away doubles. Organize into smaller containers to preserve and avoid weather damage.

3. If you don’t know what the cord/battery/electronic is for, bye-bye. There are many great websites that will buy old phones, iPods and electronics if you’d like to take the extra step. Contact your city to find where to rid of the E-waste.

4. Cheap Holiday items. No sentimental value? Toss them. You can re-invest when you’re ready