Downsizing 101: What to Toss, What to Keep, and How to Deal With It All

Maybe you’re moving into a smaller home. Perhaps you’re just trying to lighten the load for a transfer to a new city. Or, maybe you just want to get rid of all the unnecessary clutter in your life so you can make better use of the space you have.Whatever the case may be, getting rid of the useless stuff in your life is easier said than done. Here are some tips to help you pare your lifestyle down to the things that really matter.

First things first – let’s get rid of all the things you know you don’t need or want. That hat from the picnic with the company you no longer work for, the book your uncle sent you that you’ll never read, that drawer full of chargers for gadgets that you don’t even have anymore... all that sort of stuff has got to go.

Here’s a trick to help you decide which of your clothes to keep and which to donate: hang all of your hangers in the reverse direction. When you wear something, return it to the closet, and flip the hanger back around. If there are clothing items that are still the wrong way around after a month or two, they’re probably safe to toss unless they’re seasonal pieces.

Okay, okay... it’s not all junk. We’re sorry for calling it that. But you know as well as we do that some of it is junk, and that you’re holding on to it for no good reason at all.Separate all of your stuff into types: sporting goods, gadgets, old magazines... chances are good that there are quite a few categories of things you have more than enough of.

Once that’s done, do some further organizing. Within each category, create a pile for things that you’re keeping, another for things that you’re getting rid of, and another for items you’re not sure about. You can mull those maybes as you’re replacing the keeper items back in their rightful places and tossing all the stuff you don’t need into a box.Still feeling unsure about a few things? That’s okay. Keep them in a separate box to be stored in some out-of-the-way place. Set a reminder on your calendar for this time next month that goes something like, “Did you need any of that stuff? If not, get rid of it.”

There are bound to be a few items that don’t fit into your categories. For example, you might have a violin that you never play, a samurai sword, or a taxidermy raccoon. Hey, we’re not judging. Do you really need that stuff? Probably not, but it’s your call.

We all have a few things that we’re either attached to on an emotional level or would feel guilty about ditching. If guilt is your motivation, get rid of it. It’ll only bring resentment. But if some nick-knack or curio brings you real joy, there’s nothing wrong with holding onto it. Just make sure your criteria is stringent, and don’t trick yourself into keeping anything that doesn’t really make you happy.

Once you’ve culled the excess stuff from your life, you’ll have another task to complete: getting rid of it.Some of it will just be garbage, and you know what to do with that. Recycle what you can, and take the rest to the dump. Some stuff might not be useful to you or worth much money, but it could be just what someone else needs. If you can see someone getting use out of it, donate it.A few of the things you’re getting rid of might be valuable enough to warrant selling them. Old collectibles, used electronics, and jewelry received as gifts from people you’d rather not remember fall into this category. Sell this stuff on eBay or Craigslist, and enjoy a nice dinner out after all that hard work. You’ve earned it!+

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