The word for today is…
DOWNSIZE
Sometimes decluttering doesn’t mean getting rid of things altogether sometimes you just need to DOWNSIZE. For example here are a list of the items we have DOWNSIZED since the start of our decluttering process…
- We replaced a twenty something year old bulky stereo system with a new iPod docking station.
- We replaced an old laptop with an iPod touch so we don’t have to carry such a heavy item around with us when we are on vacation.
- We replaced our old computer tower with a new Apple Mac Mini which takes up so much less space.
- We replaced a big bulky computer desk with a lovely hardwood 1500 x 900 table. (The room looks so much less cluttered now).
- We have given away and sold a big chunk of our baseball souvenir collection to get it down to a more manageable size.
- We have digitised several old LP records and sold the physical copies on ebay reducing the collection.
- We have digitised a bunch of sentimental papers too so that pile is also significantly smaller.
I look at this list and I think we have made great inroads into the decluttering but I also know that we still have a long way to go. We will no doubt DOWNSIZE in some of these areas a lot more before we are finished.
You may be thinking that for someone who preaches about buying less stuff you sure have made some expensive purchases on that list. You would be correct and I sometimes feel guilty about that but it is all in the line of decluttering. Most of the items that were replaced had been used extensively and were sold on or passed on the someone else who needed them and may not have been able to afford them otherwise. I am OK with that.
ITEM 174 OF 365 LESS THINGS
My plan is to eliminate enough items out of the kitchen so I can move items from my display cabinet into the empty spaces so I can eliminate the need for the display cabinet or at least downsize it.
Oh it feels so good to downsize. For years my husband and I had two cars. A lot of the work we did was done in the city where we lived. When we visited family and friends in other towns, we always drove together in one car. So, we came to our senses. We got used to two cars but it was jsut as easy getting used to one car. It feels lighter and I remind myself how much better it is for the environment.
Hi Belinda,
thank you for dropping by. I read your blog all the time, I really enjoy Art Interpretation… on thw 21st June. That one really got me thinking my head was spinning in all directions.
We still have two vehicles but one is a motorbike which uses a quarter of the fuel that the car does but it is the one that does the most miles each week. If we went down to one car with no bike we would be using twice as much fuel (gas). That wouldn’t make economical or environmental sense.
I find myself singing/humming the “Downsize” song–you know, the one Petula Clark did back in the 60’s? Or was that “Downtown?”
When we moved here 3 1/2 years ago, we had a big bulky t.v. set. Of course within a few weeks it decided to die (it didn’t have the grace to die before the move). Anyway, we downsized to a flat one with a nice sized screen. It wasn’t downsizing in the truest sense, being both expensive and a larger screen, but it is less bulky and easier to move.
Oh, and couldn’t agree more about the display cabinet idea–I had one years ago until I realized I only had it because it seemed the thing to do!
Hi Meg,
you are too funny although downsize does fit into some of the lines of that song quite nicely.
I sometimes feel guilty spending money downsizing but the house sure is looking and feeling better for it.
You are right about the display cabinet quite often we do only have things because if seems the thing to do.
Four years ago we literally downsized our living space almost by half. It was initially a painful process, but the result was positive. Downsizing forced me to choose what I loved and what I didn’t.
Hi Willow,
Been there too and never look back. Don’t need it, don’t want it and don’t envy anyone for it. Takes me half the time it used to to do my housework. For that alone it is worth it.
I love Apple products. They are so streamlined and efficient and they are worth every penny. A year ago we gave away our very large and heavy TV. Now we use my portable 20 lb. 24″ iMac to watch movies and online TV shows It really is multi-functional. In addition, since we sold or gave away all of our VHS tapes, we no longer need a DVD/VHS player. With just this downsizing we are now several pounds lighter. 🙂
Hi Di,
That did sound like a bit of free advertising for apple in my blog but they do make nice compact gear and I am into compact.
It is a pity that the removalist company doesn’t give you a weight for your removal because I would love to compare my last move to my next one. The box count will be significantly less though I bet.