What if you had to pack up your fully furnished, decorated home and live without 80% of your belongings for several months, could you do it? And what would you bring? I’m not talking about OHMYGOODNESSTHEHOUSEISONFIREQUICKTAKEASMUCHASYOUCAN situation or the world is ending in 3 months what will you do/save/treasure situation, I’m talking about a conscious, educated decision to live on less, not suffer without, but live on the sentimental necessities and practical must haves.
Let’s be real, none of us need a keurig, it’s a luxury. I don’t need 50% of my kitchen or closet, but it’s comforting. My husband doesn’t need 3 computer monitors, but it’s convenient. My child doesn’t need baskets of toys, she’s happy with a book and playing outside in the dirt. But we collect and save and treasure and before we know it our lives are over run with stuff and things, stuff and things that are unnecessary, but comfort us in one way or another.
I’m working on my list…
What’s on your list?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
1 toddler plate, spoon, fork, sippy cup. I don’t need a whole freaking cabinet.
Now clothes would be the hardest…I could probably narrow down shoes and jeans…but shirts KILL me.
Funny enough, I think i would keep my keurig and toaster oven. We use the keurig sometimes 4 times a day. Coffee, tea, hot water. And i can cook anything in a toaster oven. Hell i could go without the microwave over the toaster oven.
So right about toys. LT needs his iphone, plastic tub trains, sally and mcqueen and a few books. That is it.
Brandy recently posted..Yes…really: A Guest Post by Kelly!
I’ve done it more than once. In fact many things are still in storage. What I’ve found is almost everything in storage falls into 3 categories. 1) the things I forget are there and buy again because they are cheap little items. 2) the things I forget are there because I really dont need them. 3) and sadly the smallest category, the things I can’t wait to have out again. Mostly pictures and other decorative items that make a place seem like mine.
IF I were to do it again. I would purge a lot more. I would have a garage sale and sell things on craigslist.I would sock the money away so I could buy new things when the time comes instead of storing clothes that I love, only to take them out an realize I can’t come close to fitting into, but now don’t want to get rid of because I hung onto them for so long.
But that’s not what you asked. I’ve learned I can survive with little. But that some of the things I need are little.I need photo albums, even if they are in a box in my closet. I need the painting that’s been over my bed for 15 years, I need my curtains, my sheets, and my comforter. I only need one pillow and one stuffed animal. I need my standby little black dress. I only need 2 pots, 2 pans and 1 cookie sheet. But I do need my keurig.
Off the top of my head, I’d probably be able to live without most of my kitchen, linen closet, and almost everything stuffed in our guest bedroom closets. We just started a big purge of the house, too… thanks for the reminder to keep it up!
Sara recently posted..the one I knew
I am chuckling about the 3 monitors…because we have a “technology graveyard” in our basement.
We have SO much that is considered a luxury. It’s easy to think that we NEED new stuff, but we don’t.
Twice a year I go through our belongings and make large donations. My biggest struggle is convincing relatives at Christmas that we really REALLY don’t need things. I have returned Eddie’s Christmas gifts for $$ if they will give it and I put it in his account for college/future. I appreciate the generosity, but there are so many who NEED it.
This is a really good topic. Thumbs up!
Katie recently posted..I’ve…
Gosh, I am a hoarder so this would be really really hard for me. (I am guessing I will need help with this soon-seriously)
But if I really was in this situation, I would bring enough versatile clothes to be able to change my outfits up. I would bring a computer and our phones.
I could make it with just a microwave if I had too…
I would bring a stroller- specifically my nice Bob Revolution.
My biggest concerns would Brady. I would probably focus on making sure he wasn’t bored, had things that made him feel safe etc…
Interesting topic to think about!
Welcome back!
Mama Fisch recently posted..The Time Tree
So far we’ve been without about 95% of the things we own since September 13th. We have clothes to last about a week, 1 futon that we’ve acquired since last week, 3 bean bags, 2 blow up mattresses, personal hygiene products and our kitchen utensils… but then again we’ve just moved back to the United States from Germany.
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