5 Ways to Get Rid of all that Unwanted Stuff

Stuff is expensive. Stuff is emotional. It’s hard to part with your stuff. But if you ever experience moving to three different homes in three different years, you’ll get over it pretty quickly because one thing stuff is NOT is fun to pack. So moving is prime time to purge your stuff because the motto for all movers will always be, “less is more”.

1.Get the right mindset

The process is difficult and sometimes even overwhelming, but necessary. Think about all the stuff you haven’t touched in a year or two. Then think about how those items could benefit others. Get motivated, create a strategy and stick to it.

2.Keep it manageable

It helps if you work in half-hour increments and take breaks. Take it one room at a time, even limiting yourself to only one room or half a room per day. Remember that processing your “stuff” is often emotionally and physically exhausting, so pause to rest frequently.

3.Divide and conquer

Ask yourself if it’s really worth packing up for the new home and whether you’ll have space to store it. If not, then place it in one bag or box. If you deem it worthy of the move, then place it in a separate bag or box. You might even consider a third bag or box for items whose fate you’re still considering. But in the interests of moving forward and staying on track, it’s best to make a decision on the spot – toss or keep.

4.Don’t get distracted

One thing about processing your “stuff” is it’s literally a trip down memory lane. A person can easily get distracted with reminiscing. It’s important to keep the big picture in mind and keep it moving. If you want to return to look at something later – say, a photo album – set it to the side and reward yourself with that after you’ve made significant progress on your purging project.

5.Get it out of the house

Now that you’ve decided which items to ditch, it’s time to get it out of your sight. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this through sales or donations. Keep in mind that sales are time-consuming to arrange, so donations may be best for a quick, stress-free solution.

• Advertise in the newspaper to your local town
• Advertise on Craigslist to a slightly broader audience
• Use Freecycle online message board to give it away or trade for something more useful
• Throw it away
• Donate it to your local thrift store
• Call someone to pick it up, like the Disabled American Veterans van.
• Set it by the curb with a “Free” sign

6.Relax and enjoy your clutter-free space

Here are the things you can do when you are NOT surrounded by junk: dance; twirl; exercise; jazzercise; pitch a tent; rearrange furniture or stretch out and take a nap (you’ll need it).