de-stuffing again

[Zoe Girl]

This time I am just not into it. I can see where hoarders or people who refuse to leave their home are coming from. I am dealing with middle age I guess! I expected some things from this time in my life and pretty much none of it is happening (except my health is generally very good). So letting go of so much again feels crappy, I want to be able to hold on to more things they may want later or at least want to look at now and then. Preparing to rent a room is freeing, and difficult. I feel just right in my amount of space, maybe a bit large, but I won't be able to afford it.

One part is that passing some things to my kids is silly because they already have stuff or they also have very small spaces. It is not like you might think, lots of heavy furniture, more like if they have room for photo albums and a few memories.

I can't recall if I felt this way my last big down size, it was massive about 7 1/2 years ago, another smaller one 2 1/2 years ago.

[iris lilies]

I can see the freedom, and the difficulty, in renting a room. Taking out of the equation roomate interactions, it has to be scary-exciting.

What are you going to do with your crafting stuff? That seems to be a downside to renting a room since you do work on crafts projects.

And umm, ok, I have to ask—is a storage unit in your future? Heres hoping no. The photo albums, if your children honestly dont want them, maybe your mother would take them? I wouldnt ask her to store anything else, however.

[herbgeek]

I am a pretty ruthless declutterer. That doesn't mean it isn't agonizingly hard sometimes though. And I'm not even all that attached to my stuff compared to some people. I suppose that is because many of my purchases have been "aspirational" ie I am the type of person who does x and here is the tangible proof that I am that person: see I have these items that other people who do x have. Except I'm really NOT that person, and I'm unlikely to ever be that person, so throwing out the stuff is also throwing out the dream.

If you are going to rent just a room, and want to keep some of that sentimental stuff, I'd like to suggest an Ikea-style full height cabinet pieces so you have the space but its closed off, and looks streamlined and less cluttered than if everything was on display. Such as a skinny floor to ceiling cabinet.

[Zoe Girl]

Oh yeah, crafting. That will be a challenge. The 2 sewing machines may need to be one, and some other things may need to just go. I have many things in under bed storage, so just push to get some of the big projects finished over the next 2 months. I am planning on a storage unit, my overall plan is to rent a room for 2 years, pay down student loans and build up some savings. I may do a year long to get a dent on a car since mine will need to be replaced in under 5 years. Then I want my own place again if I don;t have a good friend type situation I would consider being long term.

My mom/parents, no. That is not an option. Can I say I am so over people and their issues with stuff and space. There is no perspective at all here. I moved EVERYTHING off the stage for a play next week, That includes nicely boxed items behind the curtain. I move all my supplies for camp every summer so these are great, labeled, no loose items. At least this time I got a better answer than 'the integrity of the stage', she is claiming safety in case someone falls back behind the curtain. Jeezus f-christ, her room is next to my closet of an office, she sees me every day sitting on the floor to use the printer because we have one outlet in the room. My parents too, they have a 4 bedroom house in Iowa, it is lovely and a great place if we all want to visit. And they would not even take the secretary that was my grandmothers wedding gift but they consistently tell me how much it means to everyone. I can fit half my photo albums and my essential children's books in it and it looks great. I actually do re-read my books and care about reading them to grandchildren so those are not going.

Okay vent out,

[Chicken lady]

Zoe girl, I too reread my books and am looking forward to reading many old favorites to my hypothetical grandchildren. But children’s books are often replaceable or at the library - personal photo albums are not.