.
We take for granted that we have our stuff around us all the time. When the time arises that we must “make do” with less, we realize just how little we need of the stuff around us.
For example, just the past week we started painting our house and had to move into the basement. Thankfully, we have a partial kitchen, living room area, bedroom and bath down there to hang out while the work is being done. But when thrown into this situation in just minutes, we scrambled to get some stuff we thought we would need downstairs. Food wasn’t even a priority as we could always pick up meals or eat whatever we could fit it our small refrigerator downstairs. So quickly, not knowing when I could go upstairs, I put the following into two shopping bags:
. a change of clothes
. a shower caddy with toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.
. dog food and treats (Oh I forgot to mention she had to stay with us too!), a leash and poop bags
. electronics and chargers
. some towels
I’m sure we needed other stuff and, if need be, we could sneak upstairs and get it.
This reminds me of packing for a trip. Most people tend to overpack because we are afraid of being without something. So we take everything in reaching distance and hope that this time we will actually use most of it. Does it make you wonder if we are all spoiled?! What about people who live in a place as big as a closet with not much around them. Do you think they are thinking about their I pad, or if their Amazon Music is updated. No, they are not thinking about this at all.
In retrospect we need to get a grip on the amount of stuff we have in our lives. Next time you decide to declutter, decide if someone wants this when you are dead or if you would grab it if you had to run out in an emergency. If it doesn’t make either of those, then you should think about decluttering and leaving less for the garbage down the road. So next time you are sitting there deciding whether to throw something out or not, think:
. Do I ever really use this?
. Would I take it in an emergency?
. Will anyone in my family find use for it?
If you have answered mostly “no’s”, you know what I am going to say. Let’s start to enjoy the daily parts of life that are important (love, family, friends) and place less importance on the “stuff” we will end up leaving behind.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this.
Just Me..... 
such good ideas to really think about how much we keep
and if you have not ever seen it – you really need to check out an old video with George Carlin talking about “stuff” – it fits right in with your post audit has some timeless fun
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I am very familiar with George Carlin’s “stuff” routine. It is so true but I guess it is hard to let go of our stuff.
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it sure is hard to let go of our stuff – and this post was good
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“Would I take it in an emergency?” is a good question! Thank you for reminding us that the most important things in life aren’t things 🙂
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I totally agree. I try to minimize possessions because clutter stresses me out, but our kids stuff is out of control.
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Have faith. It’s amazing what happens to kids when they get their own place. Then they are neat as pins
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I am thinking about sorting through some of my stuff because I think we all accumulate things we don’t need (or even really want). I think when we have to live in different circumstances it really does focus the mind on what it is we need around us to continue on with our daily routine and what we hold dear. Thanks for this — it got me thinking about some changes I could make!
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I have far too much stuff! Years of being an Amazon Vine member and blogger had led to excess. I am slowly getting rid of it. And I am careful now not to accept all the free stuff I get offered.
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I started one room at a time when we were locked down for pandemic. Now I try to get rid of stuff before I replace it !
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You can’t take it with you when you go, right? So why hold onto it in life when you don’t need it. We’re becoming VERY minimalistic the older we get. It’s actually very refreshing!
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Such a timely post for me! We are about to move and the pile of things that we own intimidates me. I definitely need to declutter and downsize. As you’ve said, they are just all stuff. We should only really own the things that we need and make us happy. Thanks for sharing this!
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Good luck with your move – the best time to declutter.
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We started a minimalist movement in our household a couple years ago. I will never go back to clutter! It’s scary at first, but then it becomes addicting almost. We started by putting everything we didn’t think we needed in a box for 3 months. If we didn’t need it during those 3 months, we took it to the Goodwill or gave it away. We are more content, have less anxiety, and save more money. Great post! Thanks for sharing!
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Love this. A fresh perspective on what really matters! Thanks for sharing.
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