By miss minimalist |
For many aspiring minimalists, a certain temptation arises at this time of year. On the one hand, you have the urge to purge your household of unwanted things; and on the other, you may be expected to produce gifts for friends and family. It seems like the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone; but can declutter-gifting really be pulled off with panache?
It’s tricky, but I think it can be done—as long as the declutter-gift meets one of the following standards:
It’s an heirloom. And by heirloom, I don’t mean the velvet Elvis that’s been sitting in your basement for the last twenty years. It must be something that a family member would actually want: like a special piece of jewelry, an ancestor’s (interesting) journal, or that antique Tiffany lamp.
It’s an extravagance. Your teenage nephew is not going to appreciate old sweaters or socks. But if you’ve been inspired to go TV-free, it’s a good bet your 52-inch flat screen will make his holiday. Similarly, a friend or relative may be overjoyed to receive the old iPod, laptop, or other electronic device you’ve recently replaced.
It’s a rarity. If it’s a desirable item you can’t find in a store—an out-of-print book, a work of art, a vintage Gibson guitar—it’s certainly appropriate for gift-giving. It doesn’t even have to be particularly valuable; a vintage purse, for example, may make the perfect present for a niece with a unique sense of style.
It matches their interests. If you have something to give that matches the interests of the recipient—whether it’s a set of Kung Fu DVDs, a collection of architecture books, or a stash of knitting supplies—it’s sure to be appreciated.
It fills a true need. If you have a young adult on your gift list who’s trying to furnish an apartment on the cheap, it’s a great opportunity to declutter-gift a hand-me-down couch, old set of cookware, or other household necessities.
That’s not to say that you can’t declutter-gift more generic items, like a scarf, candleholder, or picture frame. In fact, they can make fine presents for acquaintances or co-workers—as long as the item looks brand new, and is similar to what you would have bought them in a store.
The most important point to remember: declutter-gifting isn’t an excuse to dump your junk on someone else. Rather, think of it as an opportunity to pass on special (or valuable) items that you know the recipient would want, and you’d have difficulty parting with otherwise. Sometimes it makes all the difference knowing they’re going to a good home, and the presentation of such a “treasure” can make the occasion all the more memorable.
(Note: don’t try this for the minimalist or fellow declutterer on your gift list; it’s only appropriate for those who want, or expect, a physical gift!)
What do you think of declutter-gifting? Do you have any other tips for doing it with style?
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
Today, Heather shares with us a story of near-disaster. She tells us how the experience changed her perspective on “stuff,” and strengthened her commitment to a minimalist lifestyle.
Heather writes:
I have always considered myself a fairly simple person, so when I started reading about minimalism about six months ago, it really struck a chord with me. My husband had actually been after me for a while to get rid of some of our “stuff.” One day I read “Organized Simplicity” by Tsh Oxenreider, and I haven’t looked back. I went through the house one room at a time, top to bottom. My husband and I each gave away a 39-gallon bag of clothes. I consolidated my beauty supplies into a single small drawer (fairly easy since I don’t use makeup). We sold some of our furniture and rearranged what was left. We pulled out nearly half a kitchen’s worth of unused cookware (why do we have two Dutch ovens?). I tore up and disposed of my old scrapbook. The hardest part was our book collection. We are both avid readers and each have two shelves of college textbooks. We have four floor-to-ceiling bookcases holding over a thousand books. We culled about 150 and are selling them on Amazon and Half. We each have Kindles now, so we are not adding new books as frequently, but there is still a long way to go. Overall, I was quite happy with the progress we made. It was, as so many new minimalists say, liberating.
And then disaster struck. Our state’s largest wildfire raged less than two miles from our home. The whole town was told to evacuate. In the few hours we had to pack, we were told to pack the six Ps: People, Pets, Prescriptions, Personal Computers, Papers, and Photos. We packed three suitcases of clothes and personal items for the four of us. We grabbed our photo albums and pulled photos out of their frames. We found our insurance papers, titles and such, all thankfully located in the same place. Two laptops and the backup for the main computer. Medicine. Diapers and toys for the two kids. Carriers, food and litter for the four cats. Everything and everyone fit into a small wagon and a sedan with a Thule. We lived for a week with a friend, wondering if our house would be there when we got back, wondering if what we brought with us would be everything we owned. But something strange went on in my head: I was okay with that. If we lost our house, so what? If we lost our massive collection of books, or the China from our wedding, or even my original drawings, so what? We had everything we needed: each other.
In the few months since we returned to our unscorched home, I’ve been slowly getting rid of more things. I’m in the process of scanning all our photographs and documents, so if we ever have to evacuate again I can just grab a couple disks. I think this cleaning out has had an effect on my daughter. As her birthday was approaching, she started cleaning out her room, giving toys to her little brother, to make room for new things. Her room is always tidy now without my having to ask. I even managed to convince my family to swap charitable donations for Christmas instead of physical gifts (thank you Miss Minimalist for that suggestion!).
I have also been trying to simplify my life. Being a stay-at-home mom, my life isn’t very complicated. I don’t have a lot of commitments, and I won’t make my kids (15 months and 5 years) have a full schedule. Down time is important. I am still stressed occasionally, but not nearly as much as I used to be. I’m still new to this whole minimalism thing, but it has already made a significant positive effect on my life.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
One thing I’ve never liked about the holiday season is the proliferation of store-bought décor. Plastic trees, mass-manufactured ornaments, and objects emblazoned with Santas, elves, and reindeer are not only a drain on our planet’s resources; they’re also extra things that must be stored, unused, for eleven months of the year.
I’m certainly not against decorating for the holidays; I simply think we can do it in a lighter, more elegant, and more environmentally-friendly way. Here’s some ideas:
Decorate with nature. Spread evergreen branches across your mantle, or spruce up your table with sprigs of holly. Gather pine cones into a bowl, or place a few poinsettias around your home. Natural items give us a true appreciation of the beauty, and bounty, of the season.
Decorate with food. A garland of popcorn or cranberries is a lovely way to adorn your tree or mantel, and a plate of festive Christmas cookies (not to mention the divine smell of them baking!) is enough to put anyone in a holiday spirit.
Decorate with photos. The holidays are all about family—so what better way to add warmth to your home than with a special display of family photos? Dig out those dusty prints from yesteryear’s celebrations, or make a slideshow of digital ones on your TV, computer monitor, or digital frame. Reminisce over your family history, or simply laugh at your hairstyles and fashions from decades past.
Decorate with color. An item doesn’t have to be holiday-themed to qualify for display. Any object in a seasonal color—like a red throw, green vase, silver candleholder, or gold-rimmed plate—can just as effectively set the mood.
Decorate with handmade items. The holidays are a perfect time to showcase the creativity of your household. For a particularly delightful effect, ask children in the family to create special artwork for you to display. Their Santa drawings and paper chains are infinitely more charming than department store baubles.
Decorate with recycled materials. If you’re crafty, the cards, ribbons, and wrapping paper of Christmases past can make simple seasonal touches around your home. (How about some gift wrap origami?)
Decorate with candles. Some strategically-placed tea light, votive, or pillar candles lend a warm, magical feel to a holiday gathering. (Of course, make sure to take all appropriate safety precautions!)
Decorate with music. The sounds of Bing Crosby crooning classic holiday tunes—or your twelve-year-old playing them on the piano—creates just as wonderful a seasonal ambience as any visual display.
And for the die-hard minimalists: admire other people’s décor. Go on a holiday house tour, visit a botanical garden, or explore your hometown (or a neighboring one) for festive seasonal displays. It’s a great way to get your holiday fix with no stuff, no fuss, and no clean-up!
Do you keep it simple when it comes to holiday decor? I’d love to hear your strategies for a festive (yet clutter-free) look!
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
It’s my pleasure this week to introduce you to Sancho—who, after an experiment in minimalist living this past summer, was inspired to continue paring down his possessions and living with less. Check out his blog to learn more!
Sancho writes:
I’ve had the chance to live minimally this summer. I moved to Mountain View for three months and decided to bring and buy only what I really needed. I ended up bringing 66 things and acquiring a few more. The first advantage was the ease of getting to, from, and around the airports. Minimalist travel makes for a much nicer experience: less or no checked baggage, actually being able to fit your things into the overhead compartment, and ability to use public transport at either end. My minimalist travel strategy also gave me more freedom during my first week in a new city, letting me couchsurf while finding a more permanent place. Because I didn’t have many things, I ended up renting a small room for a price that most people don’t think exists in Silicon Valley. It’s been great to see how close I’ve come to living with only what I’ve needed. This experience will definitely influence me when I return home to my Vancouver apartment.
My conversion to minimalism began when I started using David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) method. The initial processing of my things had me discard many of them. Among these were an old cell phone and a $4 winning lottery ticket that could only be cashed in 2000 km away. This was the most satisfying part of my introduction to GTD: getting rid of stuff. I never stopped. I got rid of stuff, then got rid of the storage. I got rid of more stuff, then got rid of more storage. I discarded so much that I moved into a smaller apartment in the same building because I just didn’t need the space. In addition to discarding things, I’ve also pruned areas of responsibility from my life that distract from a small number of important goals, another carry-over from GTD.
What drives my minimalism is a desire for focus and freedom. Every item brings with it a small need for space, care, and attention. Books need bookshelves, clothing needs cleaning, and electronics need updating… Minimalism in my things and in my priorities helps me dedicate resources and attention to what is important to me.
This summer has been a fun experiment and I hope to bring what I’ve learned back to my already semi-minimalist life in Vancouver. What other microcosms of minimalism have you encountered?
You can read more about what I’ve discarded, the 92 things I ended up with this summer, and other ideas on minimalism and productivity at http://sanchom.wordpress.com/category/productivity/.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
There’s one gift that’s more valuable than anything bought in a shop; more appreciated by its recipient than anything wrapped in pretty paper; and sure to be remembered for years to come. The best part: giving it won’t require a trip to the store, harm the environment, violate workers’ rights, contribute to the commercialization of our holidays, or clutter the recipient’s home.
What is this fabulous gift? Your time.
This holiday, offer your presence—instead of presents—to friends and family. You can even make it formal by giving the recipient a handmade certificate for specific services, such as the following:
* Provide a free night of babysitting for a friend’s kids
* Help an elderly relative with household chores or repairs
* Spend an afternoon (chatting, having coffee, or walking through the park) with someone special
* Teach someone something you know—like how to cook, do yoga, or speak a foreign language
* Offer your expertise with a task, be it fixing someone’s computer, doing their taxes, or hemming a garment
* Take a niece or nephew on a cultural excursion, such as a trip to a local museum
* Help someone declutter their closet, basement, attic, or garage
* Cook someone a delicious meal, like breakfast-in-bed, an elegant brunch, or a special dinner
* Help with a home improvement project, like painting, tiling, or planting a garden
* Offer to run errands for someone who has trouble getting around
* Take a day off from work, to spend exclusively with your spouse or child (let them pick the day’s activities)
* Offer your creativity—help someone design a web page, redecorate their living room, or put together a scrapbook or slideshow of their favorite photos
If your cup of generosity runneth over, go a step beyond and offer your time to someone you don’t know—by participating in a volunteer project. The possibilities are endless: you can serve meals at a soup kitchen, walk dogs at an animal shelter, build houses for low-income families, mentor inner-city youth, etc. To find out how you can help, contact national nonprofits or community organizations. Alternatively, use an online service like VolunteerMatch.org: input your location and interests, and you’ll receive information on opportunities in your area.
Even if you don’t offer your time in a specific way, simply being there for your loved ones—instead of being at the mall, the market, or doing a million holiday prep tasks—can make the season infinitely more special. Rather than shopping, spend these December days at home with your family: bake cookies, make cocoa, sing carols, and enjoy some classic holiday books or movies together.
Sure, it’s easy to run to the mall and buy presents for those on your gift list; but all too often, they’re stashed away, quickly forgotten, or surreptitiously returned, donated, or re-gifted. The gift of your time, on the other hand, is priceless—and much more likely to have a positive impact on the recipient’s life.
I’d love to hear your ideas on giving your time this holiday season!
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
Tired of holiday consumerism?
Give a “One Less Gift” Certificate to someone special.
Instead of exchanging presents, you’ll both have one less gift to worry about, saving time, money, and the planet’s resources.
Click here for the full-size certificate in PDF format: print it off, or email it to friends and family!
 Consider these less-material ways to celebrate the holiday with your loved ones:
1. Spend time together. Schedule a lunch, walk, or coffee together. Plan it around a holiday activity—like strolling through town to admire the shop windows and Christmas lights—for a particularly festive atmosphere.
2. Make charitable donations. The money we spend buying each other gadgets, knickknacks, and tchotchkes can do a world of good for those less fortunate. The key is to make it fun: spend an afternoon with loved ones choosing favorite charities together. Selecting a sheep, goat, or water buffalo to donate through Heifer International, for example, can be a lot more fun (and certainly more fulfilling) than fighting crowds at the mall.
3. Exchange good deeds. Exchange services, like babysitting, snow shoveling, a car wash, or computer assistance instead of store-bought gifts. Give each other “coupons” for specific tasks, which can be redeemed when needed. Such help can be far more valuable, and appreciated, than another scarf or kitchen gadget.
4. Protect the environment. Every gift we give up is a gift to our planet: our air will be a little cleaner, our water a little clearer, and our landfills a little emptier. Alternatively, adopt a tree, coral reef, acre of rainforest, or natural habitat in the recipient’s name — see The Nature Conservancy’s gift guide for ideas.
5. Volunteer. Give the gift of your time, and help out those in need; volunteering with friends and family creates meaningful memories that’ll last a lifetime. To find opportunities, contact national nonprofits, community organizations, or an online service like VolunteerMatch.org. It’s a wonderful way to spread the love and spirit of the holiday season!
6. Enjoy nature. Gather holly for your table, pinecones for your mantelpiece, or simply go for a long, quiet walk in the snow. String up some popcorn and cranberries, and decorate a Christmas tree in its native environment.
7. Have a holiday potluck. Share a fun, no-stress feast together! Ask attendees to bring their favorite seasonal dishes-such as childhood treats, secret family recipes, or traditional holiday foods from their cultural backgrounds. Serve buffet style, so guests can mingle while they sample the offerings.
8. Admire holiday decor. Make it a tradition to walk around your hometown, or drive to a neighboring one, to admire the seasonal decorations. Seek out particularly festive streets and decked-out homes for your outing; ask around your community, or check local papers, for prime locations.
9. Join in community celebrations. Attend the tree lighting in your town’s main square at the start of the season. Then take your pick of the parades, parties, pageants and holiday concerts that follow.
10. Celebrate simple pleasures. Instead of going to the mall, gather your family around the hearth: cozy up in blankets, make hot cocoa and enjoy the flicker of a fire. Revive some old-fashioned traditions: like singing carols, roasting chestnuts, and reading classic holiday tales to the little ones.
By miss minimalist |
Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
Today, I’m excited to share Amber’s story with you. She’s embracing a minimalist lifestyle to realize her dream: living out of a backpack and traveling around the world. Surf on over to her blog to follow her adventures.
Amber writes:
 Amber In 2007, fresh out of college I moved to Tokyo with a suitcase and carry-on. I didn’t have much accumulated and what I did have I sent back to Seattle for Storage. While in Tokyo I taught English as a second language and spent some time traveling South East Asia. It was an incredible experience which unfortunately ended abruptly when the company I worked for went bankrupt, leaving me homeless and broke in Japan. With, what felt like, no other choice at the time, back to Seattle I went.
Feeling defeated by my life’s dream of international travel and living in foreign lands I sucked it up and pursued the American Dream. I got a corporate job. Having moved my things from one place to another roughly 18 times in the span of 2 years I had had enough. Settled was what I yearned for.
So settled is what I got. My corporate job moved me from Seattle to Austin and then Austin to Orange County where I finally made myself a nest in a lovely two bedroom condo near the beach and began collecting my things. Let me be clear: I LOVE my home and my things. I’ve spent the past two years creating a beautifully decorated space that I genuinely enjoy. But it was not enough.
That burning desire for distant lands, exotic scenery and new adventures started calling once again. The mundane corporate job and politics became overbearingly mind numbing and suddenly settled wasn’t as glamorous and comforting as it once appeared.
That’s when I decided “I have to get out of here!” For the past year I have been planning a round the world adventure. It is not a trip, it is an ADVENTURE for I have no set itinerary or for that matter no set plan to return! I began selling my things last month and at times it has been hard. I found myself almost in tears over letting go of my favorite gold Saks bag. I realized that was just the cold feet talking and I shouldn’t be listening to my feet when my soul is telling me to let go and GO!
It’s definitely not easy though when everyone around you thinks you’re crazy for getting rid of all your possessions. Constantly questioning your reasoning for purging of things, as if it were your first born rather than your fancy toothbrush holder that you were selling to a stranger. Planting seeds of doubt in your mind. You start to wonder, maybe I should hold on to these things, place them in storage in case I need them if and when I come back, but really how logical is that?
Sure my things are lovely and have brought me joy over the years, but things are just that, things. Experiences are priceless. Priceless moments are what life should be made of. So as I sell my things and prepare to embark on the adventure of a lifetime I look forward to the priceless.
Things have a hold on you and often times that hold can keep you from chasing your dreams. I am certain there will be times that I feel homesick, but I am more confident that what I am going to gain from this journey will be worth more than what I left behind. So here I am selling my things, preparing to quit my career and move into a backpack.
I am preparing to quit the American Dream for a Life Untethered! I would be so pleased if you joined me along the way at www.nowpanicandfreakout.com. My greatest achievement would be if this blog and my story brings inspiration to just one person to truly change their way of thinking, change their life and chase their dream. It doesn’t have to be travel, it just has to be yours.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
As you might guess, I’m not a fan of Black Friday. I don’t like crowds, shopping, excess consumerism, or stores that make their employees work late night, early morning, or—worst of all—Thanksgiving hours in service to corporate profits.
That lovely little Friday, so wonderfully placed between a holiday and weekend, deserves better. And so, in the spirit of minsumerism and consumer disobedience, I propose we turn Black Friday on its head and embrace the opposite of everything it represents: please join me in celebrating White Friday instead.
Rather than a day of consumer frenzy, White Friday will be a day of clarity, peace, and reflection. (Think of the calm, contemplative effect of a white-walled room, versus one stacked top-to-bottom with shelves of mass-produced goods.) We’ll buy nothing, and continue our Thanksgiving gratitude for the abundance already in our lives.
Here’s some other ways to turn a Black day of consumerism into a White day of serenity:
Clear the clutter. Instead of bringing more stuff into your home, clear stuff out. Take the day to tackle a decluttering project, like your closet, basement, or attic. It feels a lot better to send a carload to charity, than stash away a carload of shopping.
Clear the dirt. Do a deep house-cleaning in preparation for the holidays. Get into those dusty corners you ignore during the year, and scrub them spotless. Such a top-to-bottom cleansing is an important purification rite in many cultures, and is good for the spirit as well as the home.
Clear your schedule. Instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to jostle crowds for bargains, sleep in, slow down, and spend the day with loved ones. Alternatively, free up your day to volunteer for a good cause.
Clear your debts. Rather than increase your credit card balance, take steps to pay it off. Review your finances, and plan how you can start the new year on more fiscally-sound footing. Propose a no-gift holiday to your friends and family, and emphasize spending time together over spending money.
Clear your mind. Instead of stressing about the upcoming holiday season, take a long bath or leisurely walk to clear your mind. Turn off the TV, skip the newspaper, don’t go online—anything to avoid being bombarded with advertisements and marketing.
Clear your soul. Reconnect with your spiritual side: meditate, attend a religious service, enjoy the gifts of nature. Spend the day not in pursuit of discounts, but in pursuit of truth, beauty, and meaning.
This Friday, let’s forget about keeping corporations in the black. Rather than go down the dark road of debt, delusion, and environmental destruction that goes hand-in-hand with consumerism, let’s do the opposite. Let’s make it a day to live lightly, act serenely, and make the world a little brighter for ourselves and others.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
This week, we have a wonderful contribution from Carol from Brazil. She’s dreaming of a tiny house, and enthusiastically embracing new challenges in her minimalist journey. Very inspiring!
Carol writes:
 Carol The first seed of minimalism was planted in me in 2008 when I came across an article about Jay Shafer’s tiny houses. At that moment, I was exhausted juggling two kids, work, home, among other things. I suffered with this fixed idea that I could only be satisfied if I had nothing pending at all. So every time I looked around my house, I would get stressed because I was too tired to do all the stuff I thought I should be doing, like fixing something that got broken, sew a fallen button, organizing a shelf, etc. What a utopian dream. When you have too many objects, maintaining them never ever ends.
So when I learned about the tiny houses, I got so impressed I couldn’t stop looking at them and reading about them. Some of them have even become my wallpaper for a period. I felt like I found the solution to all the problems of my control freak self, except for one thing: my husband would never agree to moving into a tiny house. Not that I ever thought he would. Anyway, this did not keep me from researching on it and eventually finding really interesting blogs on minimalism (like this one) filled with extremely inspirational posts that changed my life forever. They helped me with precious tips on how to declutter my home, organize my digital life, teach my kids how to let go of their stuff, part with my own sentimental items, live well with my husband even though he does not share my minimalist principles, etc., etc., etc.
It’s been an amazing, liberating journey. I hope I never stop learning and I’m always looking forward to the next lesson that will get me out of my comfort zone. For example, this week I decided to stop wearing perfume. Thanks to Miss Minimalist! My next challenge will be to apply minimalism to food intake. I want to reduce the amount of food I eat and eat healthier food too. That’s going to be a hard one. But is there any other way to change than pushing yourself harder and harder?
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
 In your quest to declutter, sometimes a good interrogation is in order. If you caught a trespasser on your property, you’d likely question their presence—why not do the same for your stuff? That way, you can determine whether it truly belongs in your household, or needs to be escorted off the premises.
To that end, here are twenty questions to ask of your clutter:
1. What are you? Let’s face it—if you have to ask, the item under scrutiny should already be halfway out the door. It might sound like a ridiculous question, but I’d wager that most of us have plenty of unidentifiable bits and bobs in our junk drawers and garages.
2. How did you get here? Determine whether you invited the item into your life (by purchasing it), or if it snuck in by some other means—like in the form of a gift, freebie, or heirloom. If you didn’t intentionally acquire it, you may have little incentive to keep it.
3. What do you do? If the answer is “not much,” it may be time to give it the boot. You don’t need any freeloaders in your household. Things that perform more than one function, on the other hand, get extra points for versatility.
4. When did I last use you? Good answers: a few hours ago, yesterday, last week. Bad answers: sometime in the 1990s, when my grown children were babies, I haven’t the slightest idea.
5. When will I use you again? Good answer: soon. Bad answer: perhaps in some as-yet-undetermined situation in the unforeseeable future.
6. Would I miss you (or even notice) if you were gone? If its absence would be a non-issue, you might as well send it on its way.
7. Do you have a twin (or close cousin)? Space is at a premium in our minimalist homes; there’s no sense in keeping duplicates, or two things that do the same job.
8. Could I re-acquire you if necessary? This question may spare those out-of-print books, but can effectively eliminate those seldom-used, might-need-it items that can be picked up easily and inexpensively if the need arises.
9. Can someone else make better use of you? Instead of hoarding stuff you might need someday, give it to someone who needs it now.
10. Are you more trouble than you’re worth? If something takes up too much of your time, money, or energy (like for maintenance, repairs, and insurance), it may bring you much relief to let it go.
11. Do you belong to my fantasy self? Sometimes, the only use an item gets is in your daydreams (of being a socialite, world traveler, high-powered executive, etc.). Release it, and make space for your real life instead.
12. Are you valuable? If a little-used item can bring a nice chunk of change, consider selling it on eBay, Craigslist, or in a consignment shop. The money may do you more good than a dust-gathering object. Conversely, if it has no value or use, don’t feel compelled to provide it a home.
13. Would I rather have the space you take up? Every item you own takes away a little bit of your space. Decide what’s more valuable to you, the stuff or the space it occupies.
14. Can I return you? If a spontaneous shopping spree left you with some ill-considered purchases, see if you can take them back. Many stores offer generous return policies (sometimes several months) on unused, unworn, or unopened merchandise.
15. Are you a stand-in for a memory? Our memories don’t need physical objects to contain them. Things can be broken, tarnished, or taken away—yet our memories live on in our minds.
16. Can you be digitized? Turning your music, movies, books, photos, and documents into intangible bits and bytes can free up a significant amount of space.
17. Can you be miniaturized? This is a great question for those hard-to-part-with heirlooms. If the purpose of something is to evoke memories, consider if the same memories can be evoked by a smaller piece (like a single square from a quilt, or one plate from a set of china).
18. Did I forget I owned you? If so, feel free to declutter it without regrets. Chances are, you’ll just as likely forget about it once it’s gone.
19. Do you belong to someone else? If so, and they’re a member of your household, turn it over to them for action (keeping or purging, putting it in the proper place). If it belongs to someone external (a friend, a neighbor, a grown child), make arrangements for its return.
20. Do you make me smile? An item may fail all your other criteria (practicality, versatility, etc.)—but if its presence truly brings you joy (the lei from your honeymoon, your child’s first drawing), it has a rightful place in your household. If it doesn’t bring a smile to your face, make room for something that does.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
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