The minimalist lifestyle trend has really taken off this past decade. Many of us are starting to realize the perks of living with fewer things and focusing on finding happiness in relationships and experiences. Whether you’re considering downsizing into a smaller home or simply just working towards having a clutter-free home, it can cause a bit of mixed feelings. It can be overwhelming with the thought of sorting through all of your belongings, upsetting to get rid of many of your personal items, or even nerve-wracking to think about living in such a small space with fewer “things”. How do I decide what to keep? I am emotionally attached to my things, how am I supposed to just get rid of them? What if I need this item later in life? What if I can’t fit everything I want in the new space? What if I regret this decision? All of these thoughts and questions are normal to have. In fact, they are important to think about so you can begin understanding the process of purging and the new mindset you are choosing to adopt. This post will explore the process of getting rid of unnecessary stuff and having the ability to downsize your home.
LIVING BETTER WITH LESS
It is important to downsize with a realistic plan in place and this requires thoughts, research, note-taking, a lot of boxes, and possibly even asking others for advice. Beginning this minimalistic approach might be intimidating but don’t let the unknown scare you from moving forward! Work through the process and feel confident as you make decisions. Remember, it is just “stuff” we’re dealing with here. Things can be replaced. There are tons of great benefits to downsizing, you just have to keep reminding yourself of this.
Ethan and I downsized from roughly a 900 sq foot apartment to a 300 sq foot motorhome. Later, we downsized again into a 150 sq foot travel trailer. If you live in a house or have a large family you might be working with a much larger downsize than us. But no matter the range, it can be quite a challenge during the process and sticking to the mindset. I promise purging does get easier with time and practice. And once you’re living in a clutter-free home it’s going to feel so good! As you continue this journey I highly recommend reading and watching different resources on minimalism. It’s a great motivator and can help you better understand and see the end goal of living minimally. A fabulous minimalist film is called “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things“. It offers a positive perspective on the topic as well as peoples’ experiences with adopting the lifestyle. Two main influencers in the minimalist community are Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields-Millburn. They started the blog called The Minimalists and offer tons of encouraging resources on living a better life with less. A book called “No Impact Man” by Colin Beavan is another fantastic source to learn more from!
STEPS TO DOWNSIZING
1. WHY ARE YOU DOWNSIZING?
A great question to start with is why are you downsizing?
Pick two or three main reasons for why you are downsizing and focus on them. Write your reasons down and make a bulleted list of how downsizing will help you achieve this goal. Remind yourself of these reasons often. Write them down on a piece of paper and tape it to your fridge or bathroom mirror. It can be a helpful motivator to continue to be reminded of why you’re putting in the effort to make this lifestyle change.
A travel job opportunity was the main push for us to move into a small home on wheels. Ethan and I believed that exploring the country, and trying new experiences was more important than a house full of stuff. Luckily, we both aren’t materialistic people so it was pretty easy for us to start purging our things. Our why list came pretty easy for us. We were excited at the thought of a simple, clutter-free, and stress-free home. Having less to clean and work on meant we would probably have more time for hobbies and traveling. The idea of broadening our commitment to minimalism and sustainability was inspiring to us as well.
2. SORT YOUR ITEMS
Once you commit, don’t look back! Picture yourself in your new tiny home, living those goals you wrote down. The next thing to begin doing is sorting through your items.
Make at least five piles:
After the first stage of sorting, place the DONATE, RECYCLE, and GARBAGE piles outside. Get all of it out of your sight! As soon as you can, distribute each pile to its proper place! Find a donation center like a local thrift store. Check your recycling center to learn about what they accept. Many will even take used mattresses, appliances, batteries, electronics, and more!
Clear a space for your SELL pile. Eventually, take nice photos of each item and try to sell them on appropriate websites/apps like Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Let Go, and Offer Up. Or have a garage sale! You’ll be surprised at the wad of cash you can make by doing this! Plus, you’re contributing to a very sustainable practice of reusing!
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”-Yotam Ottolenghi
3. BOX UP WHAT YOU PLAN TO KEEP
Okay, now it is time to focus on your KEEP pile. Look through each item and sort them once again. Determine what is “absolutely needed”, “maybe needed”, and probably “not needed”. Really think about what the term “need” means. It’s vital to start differentiating “needs” and “wants” and to realistically determine what you’re going to be able to keep if you continue on this minimalistic approach. It’s okay to start slowly, but if you’re thinking about possibly getting rid of something, in the end, you’re probably going to get rid of it. So consider saving yourself the time and just purging at the start!
Listen, five kitchen mixing bowls are just not “needed”. Four pairs of flip flops, nope, not “needed”. A bin full of souvenirs from a decade ago, just get rid of the junk. Think about minimizing your duplicates and only keeping your most used things. Choose functional objects, or better yet, multi-functional items. When looking through your clothes, pick apparel that can easily be mix-matched! It is time to be very intentional and creative with your choices. You might have to go through these three KEEP piles a few times. Consider asking a friend for their opinion too. And remind yourself:
Keep in mind the benefits of lightening your load. Ask yourself, “How might my life be better with less?” Maybe you’re able to start saving money by downsizing your home. You could save even more money by transitioning to this lifestyle and buying less of this useless “stuff”. Mentally, you might feel less stressed by having a clean, tidy space to live in. This will probably save you time cleaning as well. Less stuff to move around and go through, and possibly less square footage to wipe down. You potentially can be much more organized and not waste time trying to find random things you misplaced. Do you think these benefits could help you save money and spend it on experiences instead? Or help you become debt-free? Or on trying out new hobbies and spending more quality time with family and friends?
Another encouraging quote by Joshua Fields-Millburn is, “Memories are in us, not our things”. So if you have a hard time getting rid of old t-shirts, jerseys, antiques, medals, artwork, or nicknacks- try to remind yourself that the beautiful memories paired with these objects are in you no matter what. If your memory is too important to let go of an item, take a photo of it and keep that instead. Here are a few additional ideas for what you can do with sentimental items that you just can’t part with but also can’t seem to keep.
- Hire a professional to create a quilt with your most loved shirts and jerseys.
- See if your sibling or parent will hold on to a small box for you.
- Pass it along to a family member who would enjoy it.
- Keep a journal and write down descriptions of your things and the memory that it evokes.
Do you have files of paperwork and receipts? Try to go digital when possible. Sort through documents and recycle anything that’s not needed. Organize the documents that you do need using a filing system. Consider scanning records or receipts so you have a digital copy, then shred and throw them away.
Next, box up your KEEP items in an organized fashion. Label each box clearly according to its contents or room it belongs to. I would also mark whether it is an “absolutely needed”, “maybe needed”, or “not needed”, that way you can keep track of your original plan. I encourage you to take your “no needed” boxes and place them in the garage or a small room, separate from the other two keep categories. Keep them for now, unless you truly feel like you can part with them.
4. IMAGINE YOUR NEW SPACE
The next step is to find space in your current home that is about the same size as the home you plan to move into. Place all of your “absolutely needed” and “maybe needed” boxes in this space. If you’re not moving, then you can just place your labeled boxes in the rooms that they belong in.
You’ll have to use your imagination a bit here. I know you’ll probably have storage closets and cupboards, but in a general sense, how does it feel? Is it too crowded or does it feel pretty good? Here’s when you can get a feel of how much stuff you are trying to hold on to still and if it realistically is going to meet your goal. It’s all dependent on how well you did with the first stage of sorting and how small of an area you are moving to!
5. LIVE OUT OF YOUR BOXES
This might sound silly or a waste of time but it truly is a great strategy. Leave your goods in their boxes. During the next 3-4 weeks, only take items out of their boxes when you use them. After it is used, leave it out of the box. So after your 3-4 weeks is up, this exercise will show you exactly what you need and use most often. These are the items you will definitely want to keep. Judge the unused items and make a decision on which things you’d like to still keep and what you can donate.
Here are a few more questions to ask yourself:
6. KEEP SOME OF YOUR OCCASIONALLY USED ITEMS
Personally, my perspective and thoughts on the term “need” have changed drastically since we downsized years ago. It took us about one whole year to finally get to where we wanted to be after moving into our motorhome. Every few months Ethan and I were going through cupboards and storage containers to get rid of the items we still weren’t using on a regular basis. Now we are at a point where everything has a purpose and a place. I know exactly where everything that I own is. Do we still own items that we only occasionally use? Yes, of course. When family visits I pull out a few extra glasses and dinnerware from the back of the cupboard. We still have two comforters, one for winter and a light quilt for summer. We each still own a variety of jackets and shoes. But we have been very deliberate on which items we choose to keep that aren’t necessarily needed. It’s important to be picky and only keep a limited amount of items like these.
7. PURCHASE ITEMS WITH MULTI-FUNCTIONAL USES
Once you’re done purging and simplifying your life, it’s vital to continue the minimalistic efforts. You especially need to be careful with purchases. You just put in so much effort getting rid of useless stuff, make sure you don’t continue buying more stuff. And when you are in need of an item, be intentional with what you pick out. With research and practice, we’ve acquired items that are multi-functional. This helps with saving a lot of space in our cupboards. For example, we love owning our Yeti cup mugs. We use these mugs for practically everything we drink. We own a ninja blender that also has a food processor and single-cup attachments. Our 2-in-1 slow cooker & griddle is so convenient for cooking numerous simple meals! We know many people who also love Instant Pots. We no longer own a toaster but instead just use the gas stovetop to cook toast and bagels on. Our silicone trivet can be used as a potholder, spoon rest, jar opener, and a drink coaster. Another hand tool that we often reach for is our 9-in-1 interchangeable screwdriver that holds numerous size head tips. It’s super helpful to become innovative in how you use items and benefit from them in many ways.
Here are some motivational quotes that might help keep you on track with consuming less!
“You’re not going to get happier by consuming more”
-unknown
“There’s nothing wrong with consumption, the problem is compulsive reconsumption.”
-Joshua Fields-Millburn, The Minimalists
“This same thing that’s not making us happy is also causing the degradation of our habitat.”
-Colin Beavan, No Impact Man
8. ORGANIZE STRATEGICALLY
Now that you’ve gone through the process of downsizing the last phase is to be strategic on where you place your things. Stay organized by making sure each item you own has a “home”. Measure the height and width of certain things. Decide where weird-shaped or large items should fit first. Group categorized objects together. This will help you remember where things are. And stick to this plan. Hold yourself accountable and put things away into their proper spots after using them.
Moving into an RV, Ethan and I had a hard time fitting large, irregular-shaped items like the dog food container, our laundry basket, and the blender. I started out by measuring them and considering a few places where each could fit. Once they belonged to their spots, I then organized my other items to fit along with them.
LOVE PEOPLE, USE THINGS
Downsizing is not easy, nor is it fun. But the benefits of consuming and owning less can be life-changing. Keep an open mind and have confidence that it will all work out in the end!
Think simplify. Become debt-free. Ask yourself:
Be intentional. Be deliberate with your decisions. Be deliberate with your purchases.
Leave a Reply