Anyone actively minimalist or big into decluttering?

[Xena]

Hello all,

I discovered Tom Bihn and the Synapse 19 when the need arose to have a better bag for my work items, which led me to discover one bag travel, which led me to minimalism and decluttering. While I am not a minimalist by any means, I did get very into decluttering and ridding my space of items that were just sitting there, and recently was able to sell my dresser because of the items I was able to trash or donate. I was wondering if any of you have also taken the path to really downsizing possessions and becoming more minimalist, and if you can share your experiences?

[melminimalist]

Me! I am a recovering hoarder turned minimalist. I write a blog on my journey. But what really started my way into minimalism was theminimalists.com Josh fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Their podcast and web site are invaluable. What I did not discover until 2 years after going minimalist was Marie Kondo's book the Japanese Art of Tidying Up, great tool and would have made my journey easier. Other than that leo babuta and Courtney carver are all great minimalist resources.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[anna2222]

My teen daughter actually got me moving more toward minimalism. I used to fill her room with all kinds of toys, mostly thrifted, thinking I was being a good mom, and she decided 2 years ago that she wanted an almost empty room! Now I go into her room to get inspiration for my own spaces.

I have always decluttered. Since I was a kid I remember organizing my room and getting rid of stuff. But the problem was, I kept bringing more stuff in!

My intro into MINIMALISM was miss minimalist. She used to post every Monday, and I looked forward to every one of her posts and her guest posts.

That led to all those names already stated above, and one one of my favorites, Becoming Minimalist I love the "WEEKEND READS" on this one

A relatively new discovery is Break the Twitch - Intentional Living with Anthony Ongaro

An oldie but a goodie is 365 LESS THINGS 365 Less Things ? Reducing our stuff one day at a time.

And two what I would call COLLECTIONS are:

SIMPLICITY VOICES Simplicity Voices – Hand-picked articles about the important things in life

and

MINIMALISM TALK based out of the UK http://www.minimalismtalk.co.uk

The TB products have helped me to clear out my extensive bag/purse collection. When I discovered TB, I sold almost every bag I had so I could buy more TB.

[Xena]

Me! I am a recovering hoarder turned minimalist. I write a blog on my journey. But what really started my way into minimalism was theminimalists.com Josh fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Their podcast and web site are invaluable. What I did not discover until 2 years after going minimalist was Marie Kondo's book the Japanese Art of Tidying Up, great tool and would have made my journey easier. Other than that leo babuta and Courtney carver are all great minimalist resources.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Thank you for sharing! I use to collect things, and I have a tendency to go through "obsessions," (my most recent were pop figures and Converse), and now am trying to figure out what to do with some items I like, but honestly just sit there. I've heard of The Minimalists before, and have been meaning to watch their documentary on Netflix.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Xena]

My teen daughter actually got me moving more toward minimalism. I used to fill her room with all kinds of toys, mostly thrifted, thinking I was being a good mom, and she decided 2 years ago that she wanted an almost empty room! Now I go into her room to get inspiration for my own spaces.

I have always decluttered. Since I was a kid I remember organizing my room and getting rid of stuff. But the problem was, I kept bringing more stuff in!

My intro into MINIMALISM was miss minimalist. She used to post every Monday, and I looked forward to every one of her posts and her guest posts.

That led to all those names already stated above, and one one of my favorites, Becoming Minimalist I love the "WEEKEND READS" on this one

A relatively new discovery is Break the Twitch - Intentional Living with Anthony Ongaro

An oldie but a goodie is 365 LESS THINGS 365 Less Things ? Reducing our stuff one day at a time.

And two what I would call COLLECTIONS are:

SIMPLICITY VOICES Simplicity Voices – Hand-picked articles about the important things in life

and

MINIMALISM TALK based out of the UK http://www.minimalismtalk.co.uk

The TB products have helped me to clear out my extensive bag/purse collection. When I discovered TB, I sold almost every bag I had so I could buy more TB.

Wow, thanks for all the resources! I'll have to find the time to check them all out

I use to think I was making myself happy with all the things I was collecting, but after some life events I realized I just a spent a ton of money on "stuff." Just stuff. Having just traveled for a weekend with just my S19, I realized I can get buy just fine on less.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[rafoster]

I also read Marie Kondo's book the Japanese Art of Tidying Up.

Great stuff, gave me an understanding of why I was behaving certain ways.

[flaneuse]

I am, after our third overseas move and return to the US. I finally went through EVERYTHING on our last packing and then again on the unpacking. It was great to start fresh, especially bc we would like to continue downsizing our house/belongings as we age and our children grow up. I think when we moved to VA fro Germany we took 13-14k lbs, and now we are down to probably 9k. I love it--everything has a place and chores like laundry, cleaning up, are so much easier and fast to keep up with. Some of my strategy:

We live in a four season climate that can go from hot to cool in days, so only the super duty winter or summer gear gets packed up seasonally.
Everyone has about a week's worth of clothes and that's it. A little extra for the kids but only 1-2 pants/tops, or slightly dressier outfits. I do laundry every three days or so.
Get papers out of the house or filed asap. Don't let things pile up.
Keep what you LOVE and only those things. Before you buy something, make SURE you really need it. Don't keep it bc you feel obligated, or maybe you'll use it, or it was expensive...let it go. Practice non-attachment.

My only weaknesses are TB gear and yarn. but I justify the TB bc our kids rotate through the bags/accessories, and the yarn bc I am a fast knitter and gift a lot of items And I do like decorating--I couldn't live happily in a totally sparse modern environment. I think there is a balance for everyone.

[DeBru]

Yes! I can't think of any more resources to add.... other than the Becoming Minimalist course and No Sidebar, they have been very helpful. I'm by no means a minimalist, but our family of four did declutter approximately 60% of our possessions and downsized our home (3900 sq ft to 1500 sq ft) and we've never been happier. I found Tom Bianca about the same time I found Miss Minimalist, and the idea of living with less and being able to travel more, with ONE (very well made) BAG was so very appealing.

[Xena]

I am, after our third overseas move and return to the US. I finally went through EVERYTHING on our last packing and then again on the unpacking. It was great to start fresh, especially bc we would like to continue downsizing our house/belongings as we age and our children grow up. I think when we moved to VA fro Germany we took 13-14k lbs, and now we are down to probably 9k. I love it--everything has a place and chores like laundry, cleaning up, are so much easier and fast to keep up with. Some of my strategy:

We live in a four season climate that can go from hot to cool in days, so only the super duty winter or summer gear gets packed up seasonally.
Everyone has about a week's worth of clothes and that's it. A little extra for the kids but only 1-2 pants/tops, or slightly dressier outfits. I do laundry every three days or so.
Get papers out of the house or filed asap. Don't let things pile up.
Keep what you LOVE and only those things. Before you buy something, make SURE you really need it. Don't keep it bc you feel obligated, or maybe you'll use it, or it was expensive...let it go. Practice non-attachment.

My only weaknesses are TB gear and yarn. but I justify the TB bc our kids rotate through the bags/accessories, and the yarn bc I am a fast knitter and gift a lot of items And I do like decorating--I couldn't live happily in a totally sparse modern environment. I think there is a balance for everyone.

I'm definitely trying to keep what I love, but I am having a hard time with certain objects. A good example is my pop figure collection. I spent a lot on them, and some are very recent gifts, but the lot of them are in a shelf above my pc desk and just... Sit there. I know I can get some cash for them, but the thought of going through the hassle of selling them makes me not want to go through with it. I've had meh experience with local selling sites. The other is all my old video games. Wow those have nostalgic memories. But again, just sitting there.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[DeBru]

I'm definitely trying to keep what I love, but I am having a hard time with certain objects. A good example is my pop figure collection. I spent a lot on them, and some are very recent gifts, but the lot of them are in a shelf above my pc desk and just... Sit there. I know I can get some cash for them, but the thought of going through the hassle of selling them makes me not want to go through with it. I've had meh experience with local selling sites. The other is all my old video games. Wow those have nostalgic memories. But again, just sitting there.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I used to feel that way about my Teacup collection, my mountain of books, and my childhood model horse collection. I packed them away, and found that after having them out of sight for 6 months while we had the house for sale and moved made it easier for me to curate my collection down to my favorites. I still have a ways to go with them, but I was able to make progress I was pleased with.

[Frank II]

A little over three years ago, I got rid of my home and moved into hotels. I had to go from a 1400 sq ft. townhouse to a 5 x 5 ft storage unit. I also said that most of my travels would be with carry on only.

I read a couple of decluttering books but they seemed to make things too complicated and too much work. I kept it simple: If I haven't used it in a year, if it didn't have any emotional value, or if it was easily replaceable, I got rid of it. It's difficult but you have to get rid of the "what if" syndrome and "well I spent $$ on it so I don't want to waste it." Give it away if you have to--I donated a lot of stuff to charity and got a tax write off--but let items go. They are only things.

The storage unit filled up to about waist height. I then declared once it gets above my neck, I had to declutter again. That is the plan for next month when I get back to that area. (About a third of the storage unit is travel related with most of that taken up by bags. Bags I won't use.)

I'm also going to declutter me. As I got older I put on some extra weight so the next step is to get rid of that. Smaller clothes take up less space.

[AlaskaGirl]

Greetings,
Yes, I'm decluttering. I have enjoyed several of the blogs mentioned above. Looking forward to checking out the rest. I also discovered TB when researching one-bag travel. Tom Bihn has simplified my bag needs. Now everything else is being reevaluated. Between the minimalist blogs and the decluttering books, I've changed my outlook.

There were many helpful ideas in this thread: https://forums.tombihn.com/not-about...-you-done.html Specifically on page 7, where @bchaplin mentioned Marie Kondo's book.

Last year I emptied a ten by fifteen foot storage unit that was packed to the ceiling. Most of the contents have been donated or sold. Three benefits: less clutter; money in my pocket from selling unused items; items that I donated are being enjoyed by other people. Win-win-win!

The house de-cluttering is going a bit slower. Progress is not as dramatic as the storage unit. The areas that are done look fabulous. As I continue to declutter, I appreciate everyone who shares their own experiences here. It's both inspiring and motivating. Thank you! elisa

[Xena]

A little over three years ago, I got rid of my home and moved into hotels. I had to go from a 1400 sq ft. townhouse to a 5 x 5 ft storage unit. I also said that most of my travels would be with carry on only.

I read a couple of decluttering books but they seemed to make things too complicated and too much work. I kept it simple: If I haven't used it in a year, if it didn't have any emotional value, or if it was easily replaceable, I got rid of it. It's difficult but you have to get rid of the "what if" syndrome and "well I spent $$ on it so I don't want to waste it." Give it away if you have to--I donated a lot of stuff to charity and got a tax write off--but let items go. They are only things.

The storage unit filled up to about waist height. I then declared once it gets above my neck, I had to declutter again. That is the plan for next month when I get back to that area. (About a third of the storage unit is travel related with most of that taken up by bags. Bags I won't use.)

I'm also going to declutter me. As I got older I put on some extra weight so the next step is to get rid of that. Smaller clothes take up less space.

I may move out of state next year, and having that in mind, I am trying to get my possessions down to what can fit in my car. I've come to the conclusion my non-negotiable items I must have are my desktop pc, phone, clothes I kept after 4 sessions of getting rid of stuff, my headphones, and of course trusty phone and tablet. I am still deciding on those old consoles and games.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[threeteez]

What an interesting thread! I'm actively decluttering "stuff" and retained papers closet by closet and room by room.

The catalyst was spending about four months cleaning out my parents' home following my mother's death in 2013. They had a paper trail that went back to the 1930s. Even a box of cards (the type that come attached to floral arrangements) sent at the time of my sister's birth in the mid-50s had been kept and moved four times from attic to attic. There was a heavy dose of guilt when dispersing their belongings that had been kept due to a perceived value, but in reality no one seemed to want those things. My sister and I decided we never want our own kids to go through that, so both of us started on our decluttering/purging journeys in our own homes. When purging, I'll occasionally take a photo of an item, take a trip down memory lane about it, then let it go. It's very freeing!

[Fulton]

I'm amused to see other people say TB was a declutttering gateway. I swear that I started to think about what I really needed when I was trying to justify TB purchases and pick TB accessories. Then I started getting rid of the things that were cluttering my closet and keeping me from the things I needed. M


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk