I want to get rid of (via donations, craigslist, ebay, freecycle, etc) at least 100 things before moving day. On one hand the number sounds kinda high, but on the other hand, I know there are at least 100 things in our house that we never use, need, or should spend time and effort moving. And I actually plan to keep track, writing all 100 items down on a piece of paper in list form. Why? Because I’m weird like that.
To kick things off I went through my shoes (pun intended). Amazingly, I realized that I hadn’t worn a good amount of them since leaving NYC and moving to Richmond 4+ years ago. How embarrassing.
I ended up with ten pairs of shoes in my toss/Goodwill/ebay pile. Not too bad considering I had just 18 in my keep pile (although my definite-keeper Puma sneakers were out in the sunroom for a grand total of 19). That means I’m ready to say “hasta la vista” (in my best Schwarzenegger accent) to over a third of all the shoes that I own.
Sidenote:The blue-gray bedroom wall looks so green in this picture- clearly I still have a lot to learn about the new camera.
So although that’s actually 20 things I’m getting rid of (since there are two shoes per pair) I’m counting the shoe purge as ten items just to be fair. Now to find 90 more things to get gone. Somebody wish me luck. And stay tuned for an update to see if I’m able to reach my weird little goal…
Is anyone else out there cutting the fat at home and pairing things down in a major way? Let’s commiserate.
Pamela says
I’m not moving but it’s a good goal for us who are just trying to purge before the holidays. I’ll see how far I can get!
Andrea | LearningtoLiveSmall.com says
Paring down…or at least publicly threatening to on my blog. My agreement with myself was to empty out 2 storage armoires & get rid of them…by the end of the year.
Given that it’s already November 10, I’m afraid I may have been overly ambitious.
Here they are…
http://www.learningtolivesmall.com/paring-down/time-to-take-action/
However, you have re-inspired me, especially with all of you FSBO stuff, since I’m considering selling!
Maybe I’ll compromise & get rid of 1 armoire. :)
Arlee says
I heard of a way to de-clutter the kitchen over the course of a year – put every utensil in a box…all of them. When you need something, take it out of the box and put it in the drawer/cabinet/utensil holder and leave it there. A year later, you have a box of kitchen things that you haven’t used…all boxed up and ready to go!
Raychel says
Hey we’re downsizing from a one-bedroom to a studio apartment this weekend and we have a similar goal to get rid of all the things we don’t need or use. I don’t look at downsizing as a miserable experience though.
Sarah says
I’m in process of cleaning out all the junk that’s accumulated in our basement! It’s amazing how many boxes of college stuff I still have and haven’t even looked through in years! I’m limiting myself to one clear plastic shoebox for each college year and the rest goes out the window. I haven’t even fully tackled the old mishmash of cheap furniture that got stowed away down there as we’ve upgraded our quality and design sense.
I try to clean out clothes/closet stuff each season when I switch out the sweaters for tanks and vice versa. It’s fairly manageable and paired down already.
Good luck with your purge! You’ll be so glad when you don’t have to pack and unpack that stuff (and so will John).
Stephanie says
I’ve been lurking for weeks, thought It was about time I commented. Great job getting rid of stuff! Last night (at 2am, couldn’t sleep) I cleared out my bathroom cupboards and got rid of all the stuff We never use. I was amazed at how little of the stuff we actually use regularly! We probably kept 10-20% of what was there. Have a look in your bathroom, I’m sure you’ll find stuff in there!
Beth says
Your post made me laugh! We just moved about 5,500 miles. Part of our trip was overseas and we had to get two years worth of stuff into six 50 lb. suitcases, two bicycle boxes, and four boxes we mailed. We purged so much! The night before we flew to the U.S. we still didn’t fit in our suitcases, I was walking around the house (still purging), muttering, “it’s just stuff, it’s just stuff, it’s just stuff.” All that to say, GOOD LUCK!!!
ashley says
i really wish i had kept count when we moved because i reallly feel like we got rid of 100+ things!
Lindsey P. says
This is completely unrelated, but I saw this furniture on Dwellinggawker earlier and thought of you because you call Clara a bean/beanette. It says the shape of the furniture is based on the shape of the mother’s womb, but the company is called “Beaneasy” and the dresser and crib sure look like beans to me. Anyway, just thought you might enjoy this. http://mydesignpick.com/affordable-design-for-children/affordable-children-furniture/beaneasy-baby-furniture
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, so cute!
xo,
s
MariaB says
Isn’t purging stuff great? :) My 80-year-old grandparents have been in the same house for 40+ years and have a basement FULL of stuff they are trying to sort through before they downsize. Blame it on my sweet sentimental grandma… she saves everything.
Thinking of their basement and the effort it takes for them & other family members to sort through it keeps me motivated to have a clutte-free future. The memory can remain even if the stuff goes! I have a load ready to take to the local St. Vincent de Paul right now!
Jen H says
I live in a little Dallas home that was built in 1939.
I just discovered your blog & am so impressed & amazed by all that you do!
You inspired me to paint the exposed brick fireplace in our play area (I just did it today) and the new white finish makes a HUGE difference. I love it! Thank you for all of your wonderful ideas!!!
(I would love to show you my before & after but don’t know how to send you pics…)
I recently spent about a month e-baying & craiglisting all sorts of unused items in our home. It was so much fun and, I must say, rather addicting. Even my kids got excited about checking their rooms for stuff to sell!
Julie says
Ahh, you have no idea! My husband and I own a house that we’re renovating but we’ve set up a 3 year plan for a move to a Seattle apartment or condo of some kind. We have a tiny house already but we know this will mean more downsizing. We seriously threw away an entire dumpster worth of stuff and we didn’t even clean out all the stuff from the weird crawl space the last owner felt the need to fill with nails and broken glass. And if you’re anything like me, the underwear and sock drawer clean out will net you a huge gain on your goal.
Roberta says
Join The {21} PURGE with me to get rid of all the stuff you don’t want…I just had my SHOE FUNERAL…LOL
http://con-tain-it.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/11/the-21-purge-day-5endurance-will-be-key.html#tp
steph says
Dear God! Only 18 pairs??? I have literally, 50 pairs…and that’s after I cleaned out my cupboard…maybe I should have another crack at it ;)
Janelle says
Good for you! In Canada we have the Canadian Diabetes Foundation, who gleefully come to your house on an appointed day and take donations of just about anything…clothes, toys, household goods, etc. You just leave it out at the end of the driveway and at some point in the day, they come and get it. SO, because I have donated in the past, whenever they have a truck that will be in my neighbourhood in a given month, they call me ahead of time to see if I have items to donate. My new policy is to say YES every single time (which averages once every couple of months). This forces me to purge on a regular basis and gives me a “due date” for added motivation. I make it my goal to get rid of as much stuff as possible, as often as possible. Good luck with your purge – I bet you’ll say farewell to more than 100 items!
Shannon B. says
YES! We’re also moving into a new home next month (moving during the holidays?? God help me!) Even though we’re moving into a bigger place (our first house after 10-years of marriage – hallelujah!) I still want to come in with as little clutter and junk as possible. But I’m taking comfort in the fact that you’ll be doing more projects and I have this site for resources. Our new home is a beautiful space with lots of blank canvas and only a few hideous re-do musts. I’m looking forward to finally having a place of my own to decorate! And I’m very excited for you guys and your new venture too!
P.S. I’m a little sad to leave our tiny nest where we became a family of 5. So I’m using your idea to frame the key as a way to remember.
eileen marie says
I thought the exact same thing -not your wedding shoes! (But if they don’t fit…) Then I realized, I am trying to sell both pairs of my wedding shoes (but they’re ivory, & I’d hardly have the occasion to wear them again). Yours were all awesome & silvery -I bet they still match the dress. Too bad they don’t fit. :(
Fiona @ Practically Glam says
Yes! We just packed everything in a container to have the house painted and carpeted and are now in the process of unpacking. We’re also contemplating an interstate move so I’m definately purging as I go. We have at least 3 trailer loads to go to the tip, a big donation pile, a huge ebay box and I suspect there will be much more by the time I’m done!
Stacy says
I’m currently studying abroad and will be going home in 10 days! Coming here with all my stuff has really helped me to see how much I A) overpacked and B) how much I really don’t use a lot of my things. I’m actually planning on going home with less than what I came with, and I’m going to carry this spring cleaning-like fever to the rest of my apartment once I get home. It’s time to declutter my life!
cristin @ simplified bee says
I think it is great you are donating & tossing items before your move! I work w many clients to do the same. It will make moving in all the easier!
Congrats on selling your home too.
xo,
cristin
Liz says
Hey guys, if you find the colours aren’t right in your photos, you should try to correct the ‘white balance’. THe colour of you globe will change how your camera reads it.
Here’s a quick tutorial on fixing it that works with most software, will help make things look right in no time!
All the best, enjoy the move!
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/changewhitebalance.htm
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Liz!
xo,
s
Kristin says
Have fun purging! I have tossed so many things in the past months, after I noticed that I had accumulated so many things and having them didn’t make me happy at all. However, I think I still have to throw away several hundreds of items instead of just 100, but it is definitely worth it.
Those bright green shoes in your “toss”-pile look great, and I even am a size 5.5 – but way too far away from you. What a bummer! Is it difficult for you to find shoes your size? Most shops here only have one pair in 5.5 of every shoe, so I have to be lucky. In spain or italy, finding shoes our size is absolutely no problem.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kristin,
Yes! It used to be incredibly hard to find shoes in my size- but now that my feet grew a bit from having Clara it’s been a bit easier!
xo,
s
Sevi says
Hey there,
I’ve been also getting rid of stuff when I came to a point that I realized I couldn’t let go of my aunt’s gifts. She has been knitting the weirdest scarves for me for the last 10 years and I have a huge bag of them. I mean H-U-G-E. They are not even like “Oh this is sorta quirky but I can wear it with my vintage glasses” (I don’t have vintage glasses by the way) They are made of a furry, shimmering knitting yarn, mostly in lilac or burgundy. They are also itchy.
But it makes me soo emotional to think of giving them away..I don’t wanna feel sorry later, aah what to do guys?!?!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sevi,
We take photos or figure out other ways to remember things without having to physically keep them around- especially if they don’t fit, are itchy, etc. Maybe you can create a pillow out of your favorite one and donate the rest? Good luck!
xo,
s
AK says
We recently moved and got rid of a LOT of stuff. It is amazing what you can live without when you give yourself permission to. Some things just develop inertia and you keep them just because you have kept them for so long. It was good to have the space back in our new space.
After the move I read It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh to help me keep going with the purge. Great book.
I also made a deal with my husband and myself that for every 4 clothing items I get rid of I could buy a new one. That made it much easier to let things go. I keep a tally on a Post-It on the closet door so that I don’t forget what I get to buy. Eventually I switch to the one in one out rule.
Johanna says
This sure is a topic that gets everyone talking, isn’t it? Maybe I should remember it as a great conversation starter ;) We aren’t moving our or awaiting an addition to our twosome just yet, but have decided to “move in again” in out current apartment. We’re kicking off a new phase in our lives with both working together as self-employed designers and are now both working from home and are in the midsts of creating an apartment that feels like it suits us right here, right now. Here in Germany, Oxfam is my go-to place for bringing away all the well-loved (or never really loved) items we are ready to let go of, and it is just so freeing. Especially the thought of not moving with all of those things when it’s time!
Naomi says
I love this idea. My husband and I are moving to Maryland from Wisconsin in the spring, but even before moving was on the table, I was inspired by your blog to thin things out in my closet. Now we are moving on to other household items. I love using freecycle before goodwill, since I feel like those items will get used. It seems like people are writing about how their husband isn’t catching the purge bug, but after I went through my closet, drawers, office, my husband felt compelled to thin out his “childhood treasures” box, and even made some money on the deal.
It all pays out in the end – I’m looking forward to fewer boxes and no regrets!
Keri says
I’m constantly purging. I keep a basket in the closet near my front door where I throw donations as I come across them. Let’s say I just tried on a shirt and it didn’t fit, the shirt goes in that basket. When that basket gets full, I take it to the thrift store.
I have one rule: I’m only allowed to bring items into my home that I LOVE. I don’t care if it’s on sale or if it’s free. If I don’t love it, I’m not allowed to buy it. It’s a money saver and a space saver.
JanyH says
Cool idea. As i intend to move countries next year, i’ll pick up your idea and get rid of at least 100 things !
Tiff says
That is so funny that you do that. I do too. On any random day that I am feeling overwhelmed by my stuff I make a little goal in my head to get rid of 10 to 20 things. Big or small I count it and throw it out or donate it. I have never attempted 100. How scary to a person who likes to bring it in by the bag loads and out in a dixie cup (total pack rat).
I really hope you reach your goal. I can’t wait to see how you do.
Sarah says
I have been doing the same thing for the past month. We are finally moving into the new house this weekend and I think I’ve done a pretty good job. It sure is making packing a LOT easier!
Kim says
I think your goal is a great idea. You already live so simply, that would be so tricky for me. I am thinking about moving out West next year so I am learning how to get organized from your tips on previous blogs. I am trying to pair down my clothes to the essentials and trying to get rid of anything that might not be able to make the trip…I need to probably get rid of over 1000 things. Good luck with your goal :)
Sarah says
I did the very same thing when we were moving. It made it so much easier to get it all gathered together and make me feel like I accomplished something.
Ashley says
Oh my word…have you read Radical yet? Talk about motivation to get rid of stuff, give more, and just make life less about you in general…good stuff. Happy decluttering!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley,
We haven’t! We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Shannon says
I really like eileen marie’s idea of getting rid of 10 things per day. Working full time and helping my hubby out part time with his business ALWAYS leaves me feeling very short on time. So I have to do baby steps with everything, 10 minutes here, 5 mintues there. But it does add up! Everytime I open a cabinet or drawer to put things away I look to see what I(we) can live without.
the constant hunger says
Love that you’re setting yourself this goal. Getting rid/donating things is therapy for me. Good luck with the 90 other items!
Megan says
Yep. We’re having a garage sale at my mother-in-laws this weekend. Our biggest contribution is toys. We have 6 years and 2 kids wor=th of toys to purge! Just in time for their birthdays and Christmas.
susan says
My mantra, would I pay a moving company to move this? This applies even if I am moving myself! Having to spend our hard earned cash for a moving company was a wake up call. We moved 15,000 pounds of stuff to Florida (paid move) and less than 5,000 pounds to Ohio (we paid). susan
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
When we moved, it happened so quickly that many things we probably shouldn’t have kept got thrown in boxes. Then we lived with my husband’s parents for nearly a year while it all sat in storage, then moved it to our garage when we closed on our house over 6 months ago.
Many of that crap is STILL in the garage. That is this weekend’s project before it gets too cold to go out there! I’m thinking if I haven’t needed it in nearly a year and a half, I could probably chuck it, right?!
Breanna says
It’s not crazy! My husband and I just moved last Sunday into our fixer-upper and I wanted to purge everything!
http://www.thecottagegray.com
Christin says
That’s a fantastic idea! I recently donated 2 HUGE trash bags full of clothings and one smaller trash bag full of shoes to Salvation Army. I have been collecting items for quite a while and it was just time to finally take them in. It feels so good! However, it makes me want to keep going through stuff and give away more. There has got to be more to give away if I’m really honest with myself. I admire you guys for living as simply and non-cluttered as possible. :)
Jillian says
I’m in the pre-moving stages of purging too. Except I’m going from USA to the UK in just 6 weeks….and have only known about the move for two! It’s too long a distance to hold onto anything I don’t love love. I’ve been sorting through the house for the past week to get ready for a big yard sale this Saturday. I’m the type who has sentimental attachments to most of my belongings (even my shoes), so I may cry my way through the yard sale!
Sue says
I, too, am moving in mid-December and even though I did a massive purge before we started showing the house, now that I’m faced with packing it all (and deciding where it will fit in the new house which is older than our townhouse and has a lot less closet space), I’m finding more to purge. I’m not sure if the trunk of my car will fit all the bags that need to go to Goodwill this weekend!
Bridgette says
I feel so bad looking at your shoe piles, combined and give away. Both together equal my high heels. I feel very materalistic. Maybe I should clean some stuff out. Good luck with getting rid of a 100 things. Sounds like a great idea.
Ashley S says
I know of a lot of friends having $1-$2 sales cleaning out their closets. They post it on facebook to all their friends, then earn a few bucks cleaning out clothes and shoes they don’t plan on wearing again. I’m considering doing the same with my closet (and garage, which holds items we still haven’t unpacked from a move 2 years ago)!
Jen says
I think you’ll be amazed at how quickly your pile of ‘100 things’ will happen. We combined households two years ago. My tween daughter and I moved in with my fiance and we had far too much ‘stuff’ all under one roof. We started our weight loss program and we were posting via facebook the number of pounds we were losing (kijiji, yardsales, donating). Some of our friends joined in and we compared weight loss. Fun!
We’re big recyclers so our rule was avoid landfill!!!
Happy sorting :)
Stacy says
Seeing how I hate clutter, de-clutttering is a never ending process. If I don’t use something in a year ( sans Christmas decorations) it gets donated or sold depending on what it is.
Things like bathroom closets, medicine cabinets and kitchen cabinets get cleaned out every 6 months. There is no point in keeping medications or food that has gone beyond it’s expiration date.
Good luck!
audibot says
We’re getting the floors refinished (original hardwood in a 1940’s home-love!) and some other work done around the house before our first little one makes her grand appearance. So, we’ll be moving everything out of the house (except for the kitchen and bath items) into the garage. We have a HUGE garage. It’s about as big as the house. Then we’re going to strategically move only the items back into the house that we know we need or still use. Everything that’s left in the garage goes. I’m so excited. I do need to tackle that kitchen though.
Joless says
Yes! We have big renovations planned where we’re going to have to put lots of stuff into storage and I really don’t want to pay to store stuff I don’t need any more (or pack it up for that matter!). I’m really good at identifying the stuff I don’t need (I have lists and lists and lists on paper and in my head) but I’m really bad at getting it out of the house since charity shops are invariably in places with no parking (cheap rent), or closed on Sundays. Freecycle is fab but you have to be home for people to collect (we both work). I don’t want to just junk stuff. It’s hard, so things pile up and get reabsorbed into the house. Still slowly working on this though!
Amanda says
Hi guys,
Unrelated to your post but I have to give credit where credit is due. Just revealed our nursery and like 49 others I was totally inspired by your dresser makeover. I gave you guys credit on my blog but come check it out!
http://www.modgblog.com
Thanks for all the continued inspiration!
Shelley Davis says
We have been transferred around quite a bit. These moves are on the company dime. One move we were offered a lump sum for the move. It was paid up front. It was amazing to find all the stuff I didn’t care to move so that I could pocket that money. I bet if you look hard 100 is a low number of things you can live without. Need verses want!
Shelley