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It seems like so many of the posts on here are about decluttering and clearing out. A few years ago I was selling my house, and the "sell this house" shows were just starting. However, I did a lot of research and had already viewed a lot of houses in my new-house hunt and decided to make my home as show-home as possible. That meant clean shelves with minimal decor, less furniture - like a show home. I started cleaning and boxing up stuff - all the weird figurine/crystal/ceramic stuff that I never liked but "aunt so&so" gave me and I felt like I had to display. Sooo many candlesticks (I never burn tapers - too messy) and other stuff I had carried around for years. I stacked those boxes up and didn't think too much about them until after we moved and I finally made it to the last of the boxes. I kept pulling out stuff that I didn't really like and didn't have a place for...and put it right back into the boxes. Guess what? I haven't missed it yet, in the past 2 years I have had a couple of garage sales and made about $1000. I also really think more when I am shopping. Do I actually need this? I try to have a real plan for each room of my house now, and don't just buy decorative items just because it is cheap at TJMaxx/Target or any of my other favorite places. Shopping for my home has become more of a "treasure hunt" than a bargain-grab.
So - if you have some pack-rat tendencies or you are hanging on to "things" for reasons of guilt - get some of those boxes that are on sale right now - and box it up. Tape a piece of paper on top that says you can't open it until July or later. When that day comes around, you will be surprised at how easy it will be to let go. Give it to someone who will love it - or donate it to a charity you love. You will feel great with less stuff around you.
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Great perspective- I agree!
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"Sell This House" is one of my favorite shows!!!! Here it's usually on Sunday afternoons on A&E channel.
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That is great advice. I have a hard time letting go of the small things that people have given me or things that I think I will eventually use.
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I'm doing this.. except it only lasts about a week before I send the stuff packing. My house is so small I don't have room to store stuff I'm not sure I want to keep. I'm being brutal this year and saying sayonara to a mass amount of stuff. As for all those things I got from family and thought I had to display to please them - when is the last time I saw something I got them displayed at their house and how much did I care? And the last time my family visited was almost 2 years ago, so I'm not too worried about it. Things are things. I do have a shoebox that has some mementos in it, but that's all. And in 5 years it'll probably be pitchable anyway.