Our house is slowly taking shape. We eliminated another piece of furniture yesterday, well almost, it is now sitting in the garage waiting to go on ebay instead of our living room. One less thing to dust Yah hoo! It has actually been a great piece of furniture and has been with us since we first got married 23 years ago. It has been in and out of storage twice and therefore in service for 12 out of those 23 years. All that being said we just don’t need it any more and I am sure someone else will be happy to take it off our hands.
Over the last twelve months we have replaced our lounge suite (it was sagging in the seats) our bed (which squeaked badly, not good with teenagers in the house) and a desk (the new one is more functional than it’s predecessor) all at staff discount of course, the only advantage that my last job afforded me. When I say replaced that is exactly what happened, out with the old and in with the new.
Also since moving in three and a half years ago we have removed other furniture from our house – a single bed, a sofa bed, a wardrobe, a coffee table and a bookcase. All of these items were excess to our needs and in same cases full of stuff that was also excess to our needs.
As a result of all these changes there is space opening up all around us.
- Physical space – More room to move and breath. None of that claustrophobic feeling of being hemmed in by our possessions.
- Mental space – Knowing that we have less cumbersome possessions tying us down making it harder to pick up and move on when we feel like spreading our wings so to speak.
- Time space – Pockets of time freed up in our household routine where we don’t have to take care of all those items that were excess to our needs or wants for that matter.
It is a very liberating feeling. Liberating not just having off loaded all this stuff but also having no desire to replace it with other stuff that will only weigh us down. Nothing comes into our home any more unless something else goes to make way for it. That doesn’t mean that we buy stuff all the time and get rid of perfectly good stuff to make room for it. It also doesn’t mean that we never buy things just because we want it. It means that we are still reducing our belongings but whenever we do consider buying something new there is a lot of thought going into the purchase before a decision is made.
We are content, comfortable and free and our home reflects that. And I am not even finished yet.
Item 326 of 365 less things
This is the piece of furniture that as of yesterday is awaiting a new home
5 Things I am grateful for today
- A sunny day to wash the bed linen.
- Space – I can feel it round me no matter where I am in my home and it isn’t a big house.
- Tissues with aloe vera – They are way kinder on your nose during hay fever season.
- Having a grocery store nearby – I have been very forgetful over the last month and am always having to go back for something.
- Life returning to almost normal – There are a lot of appointment to attend and life isn’t quite the same as it was before that horrible month which will never be forever etched our memories but today I only had to deliver Liam’s washing to his bedroom not to the hospital.
I think I may have convinced my husband to get rid of one piece of furniture. Yay!
Hi Willow,
Yay for you! One less thing to dust.
I am waiting right now for someone to pick up an enormous, 7 foot beanbag. It was a mistake that cost a lot, but I’m happy to see someone else get it and use it. Our idea of what we wanted our living room to look like hadn’t really formed when we bought it – and now it doesn’t fit into what we want at all. Yay for making good changes!
And I’m glad things are returning to normal for you, Colleen!
Hi TheSmplePoppy,
Giving yourself a cooling off period when making purchases no matter how big or small, expensive or inexpensive is a good idea. Sometimes we can get carried away with the novelty of an item and not make good decisions if we don’t take time to consider the purchase wisely. I have fallen into this trap myself over the years and probably will again occasionally but I would like to think I have learned my lesson and am less susceptible than I used to be.
Thank you for thing of me during what has been a very scary time for our family. Life is good again now and Liam’s future is looking bright. When he is a rich and famous artist you will be able to say I remember when he nearly lost it all. 😆
I am getting there with my husband too, he keeps suggesting things that can go! We’re not quite talking furniture yet but I keep hoping!
Hi Cathryn,
I find the best thing to do is plant the seed of suggestion and hope they come round your way of thinking. On the other hand having my husband to keep me in line so I don’t make any hasty decisions has been a good thing at times too.
Its surprising the effect your decluttering has on others. I was convinced my husband would desparately try to hold onto things – which is what happened at first, but then as I keep going, concentrating on my own things, he started to relax and has now given away a 3ft high set of boxes of cassette tapes, a garbage bag full of old clothes, computer games he no longer plays, amoungst others.
He grew up in a very cluttered house, but I think when the effect of my decluttering started to really show, he realised how much better and calm life seems to be when you have less things around you.
Hi Isabella,
how good for you to have had such a good influence over your husband and ultimately your home. You must all be starting to feel the full effects of decluttering and don’t it feel good.
My daughter recently came home for a visit and when she returned she decluttered her room because she had felt so good in our home with all the space around her.