Anyone else trying to downsize?

[shipgeeks]

Not surprisingly, we have accumulated a lot of Things over the years, and having a fairly large house has allowed us to hang onto them.  We realize we can't do this forever.

Among our many treasures are lots of books about ships, vintage cruise brochures, papers from our cruises, vintage ship postcards, and old cruiseline ashtrays and china from antique stores.  Some of the books are being taken to ships with libraries, as we cruise.

We are familiar with several maritime museums and archives, but not sure how we would donate a lot of weight!

We no longer drive, so we have given up our ebay shop, without an easy way to the PO.

We hesitate to just take these specialized things to the local Goodwill, although clothing and such goes there regularly.

Anyone else going through this?  Any ideas?

[crystalspin]

In our 32.5 years of marriage, we lived in a 1200sqft unit, a 1500' house, a (2-story) 2500' house, and now, 2.5 years in a 3500 sqft single story custom home! So I guess I can't speak to downsizing, although every time we moved we did purge...but you could say we failed spectacularly at downsizing!

 

There is a book, Rightsizing Your Life, by Ciji Ware. Currently only available in used paperback but on eBay for $9ppd. She speaks (allbeit seldom) to times when "rightsizing" can mean sizing UP. But she also has examples of people with collections that they don't want to break up, finding homes for those things. You might be inspired by her examples.

 

I think Ciji coined the phrase or at least brought it to common usage, but if you search AMZ for "rightsizing" or "right sizing", you will find a number of books, several specific to retirees.

[Lois R]

I live on my own and am in a 1350 sq foot Condo....I have lived in 2 places since the very early 90s...another condo and this one.  The next place I end up? Well, it will probably be much smaller than this......as in a box......that will be the last time I downsize.

[PhotoDennis]

I used to live in a 3800 sq/ft house, and just over a year ago downsized to a 1200 sq/ft condo, so I feel your pain.

First, Goodwill and a lot of other charities are still flooded with items. A *lot* of people went through the downsize/cleanout cycle when Covid hit three years ago, about the same time the Marie Kondo method took off, so a lot of them still have fairly full warehouses.

Plus... tastes change. If you're older like me, you probably have things like a separate formal dining room with sideboards and china cabinets that arent really desired or in style anymore. So a lot of those things go nowhere.

Here's what I did. I rented a storage unit and moved anything that I had any feelings or desire to keep into it. Then I hired a cleanout service. It is easy to find someone just to haul stuff to the dump, but if you look around, you can find someone who will try to donate what items they could. (In my case, they even gave me receipts for the stuff they did donate so that I could write them off.)

As for the stuff in the storage unit, I left it there for a year. (OK, 18 months.) When I found I wanted or needed something from it, I went and got it. Then, after that time was up, I figured that there was nothing there that was really important, and I got the same cleanout crew from before to empty it.

I think it worked out well. I'm now in a third of the space I was in two years ago. I'll admit that it is still a bit "cluttered," but you will be amazed at what really isn't that important after a while.

[BamaVol]

We went from 3800:to 2000 to 1800 or 1350.  The last one was the painful move because: no garage.  I had boxes of mementos.  The boxes had one-way openings: things went in but never came out. I went through each box and photographed anything interesting. I texted the pictures to my kids. Then I tossed it. We donated what others might want. It’s just stuff. Most meant nothing to anyone but us.  I like living with less.  

[Mike981]

We give to the Epilepsy Foundation, we schedule a time and they come and pick it up. That will help with the driving issue.

[CptBoatface]

29 years in an 1100 SQ ft home, moving to 1503sq ft cross country. PODS 16 ft unit should take everything, but still downsizing 

[lenquixote66]

We had a huge home in NYC ,4 levels. We moved 20 years ago to a town house condo in a relatively small town .We donated books,records ,clothing and other items .Currently we have huge closets with crates of sports collectibles and cruise memorabilia.

[SargassoPirate]

I had an epiphany several years ago when I was on a long, long motorcycle trip and all I had in the world for two months was what I had on the bike.  When I got home I started to reevaluate possessions and started sorting.  Some goes to the kids if they want it, some goes to Goodwill, some goes to Habitat for Humanity, and a lot of memorabilia and collectibles go on ebay.  

 

A couple of years after starting the gradual clear out, we did a big project of tackling boxes from our last move - 35 years ago - and got rid of things we had forgotten about and obviously didn't need.

 

You go out with the same you came in with.  

[Mary229]

I have a large, sparsely furnished house.  We have it simply to enjoy our vast yard.  First thing I did was to have a free garage sale for my young adult nieces and nephews and their friends.  It was great fun and I saw the stuff leave once again to be useful. I made it clear that this stuff was for their enjoyment and they were welcome to dispose of it in any fashion as they saw fit.  If they were clever enough to put it on eBay - good for them

Edited June 21, 2023 by Mary229

[Rothko1]

On 6/21/2023 at 3:29 PM, Mary229 said:

I have a large, sparsely furnished house.  We have it simply to enjoy our vast yard.  First thing I did was to have a free garage sale for my young adult nieces and nephews and their friends.  It was great fun and I saw the stuff leave once again to be useful. I made it clear that this stuff was for their enjoyment and they were welcome to dispose of it in any fashion as they saw fit.  If they were clever enough to put it on eBay - good for them

 

Interesting idea.

 

We are just beginning the process of having to dispose of my in-laws' house and possessions, and they have a ton of stuff.  This is an interesting concept that might work very well.

[Hogladyrider]

I got a LOL chuckle when I read all of the above replies.  Nothing wrong with any of them, my chuckle is because of my own lifestyle!

 

Built my dream home back in the early 2000's and decided it was too big for 2 people.  We decided to downsize and live a fulltime RV life.  We live in 28' x 8' of living area and WE LOVE IT.  We have been full time since 2015.

 

We started downsizing our home way before we were ready to put the house on the market.  I sold a lot of stuff on FB, Marketplace did not exist back then.  I made up For Sale fliers and took them to work and we sold all our furniture in our home as well.

 

We gave away and donated lots of goodies to the Animal shelter and to the Animal Shelter Thrift Store.

 

We truly live a minimalist lifestyle and we are happier and healthier today than when working and maintaining a big house.

 

We have no storage facility, everything we own is with us.  We travel in the summer months out west, we workamp to fund our cruising addiction which we do in the winter months.  It is a GREAT life.

 

While we know we will not be able to keep this up forever it works for now and has worked for us for the last 8 years and counting!  We will be taking our first cruise to Hawaii this coming January and then a 14 day cruise over the holidays in December!  Life is what you make of it we only go this way once!

Susan

[PhotoDennis]

I'm really looking at the RV lifestyle right now.

I discovered that the NPS will hire older, seasonal workers at a lot of parks. I can get an RV for me and my dog, and we can... just travel. And get some money while doing it.

https://www.aarp.org/work/job-search/seasonal-park-jobs-for-older-workers/

This is so very tempting to me. I'm trying to think of reasons to not do it, but... I can't.

OK, I've got a bunch of crap I'll have to get rid of, but... yeah.

[crystalspin]

38 minutes ago, PhotoDennis said:

I'm really looking at the RV lifestyle right now.

I discovered that the NPS will hire older, seasonal workers at a lot of parks. I can get an RV for me and my dog, and we can... just travel. And get some money while doing it.

My good friend from back east (and her husband) spent the summer last year as "camp hosts" somewhere in New Mexico and LOVED IT. I need to drop her a line and find out where they are this summer. They have a Casita, FWIW, not a big rig.

[sabookkeeper]

We are in the middle of downsizing as we get ready to move not only to another city but into an apartment.  It is surprising how much we have accumulated in over 30 years in our current house.  I have lost track of how many boxes we have sent to good will.  Fortunately my son is taking the pieces of furniture (family antiques) that we really did not want to sell or give away.  

[kochleffel]

My present house (about 1500 sq.ft.) and furniture are still right for my lifestyle, but I have a goal of eliminating about 1/3 of all the other contents. The pandemic was a setback because I was holding stuff for charity sales that never took place. Trash (!) and clothing are the easiest things to get rid of. I'm also preparing to switch to an induction range, and at least half my pots and pans will have to go, but some of them will be replaced.

[shipgeeks]

kochleffel, I get it!  We, too, plan to stay in the house, but are trying move along some of the "things" in it.

I'm beginning to see an element of the problem: younger adults who keep giving unneeded gifts.

Big framed pictures of every element of their wedding, and every stage of their child's life. Nice to see from time to time, but not needed on the walls where our chosen artwork hangs.

A dog or cat to a couple who just want a simpler life and four worry-free cruises a year.

A figurine of a very elderly couple, depressing to think that you think it looks just like us.

Big wind chimes to the couple who say they love the peace and quiet of the porch, and seeing the hummingbirds at the feeder.

Personalized cushions, wall hangings, and other decor items.  The thrift stores don't really want things with our name on them.

Smartphones to the couple who love their laptops and house phone, and don't care to get calls while out of the house, nor to have to pay the monthly fees.

Ironically, the gift givers never care to take any of the furniture, dishes, silverware, albums, or keepsakes offered by the older generation. "It's not our taste."  "We don't have any more room."

Their turn will come.

In the meantime, are any of you dealing more successfully with this?

[edspec]

@shipgeeks Can't you just explain that at this stage of life you don't need any more things, that you'd prefer experiences?  I wouldn't say this after opening things, but perhaps as a casual remark several months ahead of the next occasion, with additional mentions about a friend's great gift from their children where the gift was a restaurant gift card, cruise gift card, etc...

[crystalspin]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:42 PM, kochleffel said:

I'm also preparing to switch to an induction range, and at least half my pots and pans will have to go, but some of them will be replaced.

May I speak (off-topic) in favor of GreenPan induction-compatible pots and pans -- I lived with (also new) T-fal IC pans for several years, then got a Venice line Chef's Pan from GreenPan (on a major xmas/end-of-year sale) and a Valencia line big Saute pan (likewise). Just recently bought a full set of GreenPan Greenwich off eBay. Greenwich appears to be very similar to Venice (steel on the outside but black on the inside) that was made for JCPenneys or some chain. Those are the three 'lines' I know that are induction-compatible. They heat NOTICEABLY faster (or at a lower setting) than the T-fal pans. If you search eBay for "GreenPan Greenwich" you will see the set. 

[crystalspin]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:42 PM, kochleffel said:

I'm also preparing to switch to an induction range, and at least half my pots and pans will have to go, but some of them will be replaced.

Henckels H3 10pc Coated Stainless Steel Cookware Set

on eBay is from the same seller I got my GreenPan Greenwich. This is a great brand and says IC -- no personal recommendation (although I have their knives!), but could save you a few dollars.

[crystalspin]

On 8/17/2023 at 4:23 AM, shipgeeks said:

We, too, plan to stay in the house, but are trying move along some of the "things" in it.

I'm beginning to see an element of the problem: younger adults who keep giving unneeded gifts.

...

In the meantime, are any of you dealing more successfully with this?

I agree with @edspec -- now is the perfect time to write a letter or e-mail to the "younger generation" and request no material gifts. Tell them, gift-cards or PREFERABLY monthly contacts (phone, snail mail, or at least e-mails). You have everything and to spare.

 

I only wish I had kept in touch with my grands, and my dad, when I had the chance. I am trying to make up for it with my mom now that we have moved close.

 

As far as THINGS. We are the ones that UP-SIZED, and I have relieved my siblings of some decorative or meaningful items (my paternal grandparents wedding lunch-set!) that we have room to display. When we are gone, or forced to downsized, those things will go to charity stores, but for now we honor their memories.

[CptBoatface]

My wife (the Admiral) really likes the Hexclad brand for pans

 

[kochleffel]

On 8/17/2023 at 6:23 AM, shipgeeks said:

kochleffel, I get it!  We, too, plan to stay in the house, but are trying move along some of the "things" in it.

I'm beginning to see an element of the problem: younger adults who keep giving unneeded gifts.

Big framed pictures of every element of their wedding, and every stage of their child's life. Nice to see from time to time, but not needed on the walls where our chosen artwork hangs.

A dog or cat to a couple who just want a simpler life and four worry-free cruises a year.

A figurine of a very elderly couple, depressing to think that you think it looks just like us.

Big wind chimes to the couple who say they love the peace and quiet of the porch, and seeing the hummingbirds at the feeder.

Personalized cushions, wall hangings, and other decor items.  The thrift stores don't really want things with our name on them.

Smartphones to the couple who love their laptops and house phone, and don't care to get calls while out of the house, nor to have to pay the monthly fees.

Ironically, the gift givers never care to take any of the furniture, dishes, silverware, albums, or keepsakes offered by the older generation. "It's not our taste."  "We don't have any more room."

Their turn will come.

In the meantime, are any of you dealing more successfully with this?

 

I retired from a nonprofit organization in June. I had been the executive director for 16 years.

 

The volunteers wanted to throw a party. If it were just my own feelings, I would have begged them not to, but the community needed to do it.

 

I stipulated no speeches and no gifts. They ignored both and now I have even more stuff that I didn't want.

[CDNPolar]

We are in a downsize discussion now.

 

We are in a three level three bed, four bath house, and we also have a two bed, one bath condo as an investment property.  The tenant just moved out of the investment condo and we are seriously thinking that why don't we sell the house and move to the condo.  We have rooms of furniture that we will have to get rid of, and so many things that you accumulate in a house that will have to go, but I think that this will be cleansing to do.

 

We don't need the space we have, and there are pros and cons to staying or moving.

 

The interesting thing is that in the condo, we will forgo a dining room table.  There is no space for this.  The conversation that ensued was what about entertaining friends for dinner, and the settled answer was that we just would not.  If we want to meet friends, we meet out at a restaurant, or they just come for wine and cheese.

 

 

[KasperGutman]

I am about nine years from retirement, unless health concerns force me to go sooner (not impossible by any stretch of the imagination). The cost of living where I live now (Vancouver), likely will make retiring here unaffordable. My goal when that day comes is for everything I own to fit into two suitcases, and winter in Southern Europe (Spain/Italy/Greece) There is work to be done.

 

Obviously, I have got some time, but I have started the process:

 

1. I have hundreds of books. I have switched to an ereader and have started giving my existing books away, so I haven't bought a new physical book in over a year.

2. Board games/LEGO - also taking up a fair bit of space, I may try to sell/donate these as well. The board games are pretty niche (mostly military history  style wargames), but there is a market for them, it is just finding the energy to sell/ship them that is a problem. (if you are wondering why someone in their fifties would have LEGO, just think of them as really expensive jigsaw puzzles. 🙂 

3. I went through a couple of garbage bags of old clothes - some of which could be salvaged for donation, other stuff I don't know why I didn't throw it out at the time. It is weird how much stuff I have found that I have no idea why I kept it in the first place.

 

The harder stuff - momento's, old letters, cards, photos etc. Well, I will leave that until the end.

Furniture - again, until the transition to a nomad's life, I will need it.