Honestly, one of the best videos I’ve seen on minimalism. No distracting music, no annoying special effects. Just simple, honest, genuine and very useful advice from someone who seems very real, genuine and kind. Love it 💕
I do this backwards: Day 1 I got rid of 31 items; Day 2 was 30 items, etc. I had more energy and focus at the beginning of the month. Did this in Nov and got rid of 339 items. Didn’t do it in Dec. haven’t done it this month. I’ll start again in February! Great video! A Colorado Viewer
I thought about doing what you said, but it does not work for me, I realized I have very little amount of out fits Lol! . But I love your idea I will do it for my kitchen items witch I have to much, thanks!
We were downsizing in retirement and I had trouble choosing what to get rid of because we hadn't found a new house yet. I started focusing on what I really wanted to keep and that helped. I would clear a room out, clean, paint whatever it needed and then look through the stuff and chose my favorite things and put them back. I started to love the less cluttered look and it got easier to get rid of things. When we listed our clean, decluttered house it sold the first day. And my smaller house does not seem smaller and it's lovely being surrounded by only things you love.
Congratulations on your actions of decluttering and selling your house on the first day. I bet you felt wonderful that all that work paid off so quickly paid off paid off congratulations again
@@eScential sometimes (often) there are ways to find the things without buying them new. So many people are moving, downsizing, tossing, there’s an abundance.
The designer William Morris (an ancestor of mine) said, "have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." Lovely video.
Even if you do not live in a tiny house, this video is very valuable. Downsizing your possessions can be very freeing emotionally. When your possessions own you, you have less time for creativity and other things in your life. I do not live in a tiny house, but I have realized just how much "stuff" my husband and I have accumulated over the years that we really do not need. For the last year, I have been working on trying to minimize a vast array of possessions that we never use. I had kind of fallen behind on that task. This video is so inspiring to me to tackle doing that again with a more focused mission. Thank you for posting this video..
I began my minimal life when I moved from a house to an RV. BIG CHANGE. For my kitchen, I emptied one very big cabinet in my kitchen. As I cooked, I put in it the items I used. Plates, bowls, appliances, etc. When it became full, I began the process of deciding what must stay in the cabinet, or what must go. Now, I moved to the RV before clearing out the house. I put into the cabinets in the RV what I felt I needed, and I began cooking in the RV. If I was missing something, I went back to get it. If it fit in the RV, great. If my RV was full, then I had to decide if I could live without it, or something in my RV cabinets. I am so grateful for that. It really helped me box up everything left in the kitchen and move it on to others. And I learned how little I really need to cook.
I did about the same thing, but didn’t have too much time (hours), after moving from a townhouse to our RV. But I haven’t missed much! And so true about replacing anything missing in less than 20 minutes or $20! The next hurdle was deciding what to keep after my parents died. 🤷🏼
Very good! Thank you. When I am in a place where I can lead my thoughts with reason and logic, and follow with emotion, pragmatism is much easier. If I lead with emotion, reason and logic don't get a voice.
It's funny how we always want what we don't have. I used to live in a tiny cramped apt for many years before I was finally able to afford a much larger 4 br home. I feel so blessed to have this larger home with extra rooms to host family/friends and have extra space for things I love, like craft room and home office to work from home. I used to feel claustrophobic in my tiny apt. Now I am very grateful for the extra space. I guess it can be said that I have too much stuff, but I shop wisely on a budget and only purchase what I love so I no longer feel guilty ridden about it. My lesson learned is this: Big space or little space, do whatever makes you happy because life is too short to be in a constant state of misery. After living in a cramped apt for so many years, I now wake up everyday ever so grateful and I thank God for finally having a bigger space.
I have a very hard time parting with items, but my daughter suggested I take photos of each of the items in question.That way I have the remembrance of the item and can release the actual item thereby decreasing clutter. So much easier to get rid of stuff this way.
I took pictures too and have 7,000 plus pics on my phone!! Haha! I photographed everything that my parents had (after they passed), and we are selling the stuff they hoarded. Watching a lot of it mold or rust has been another mental hurdle. 😢
Yeah, I do that sometimes, too! My problem is I have literally THOUSANDS of photos on my phone/backed up already because I do stuff like that all the time. That’s even how I shop! I rarely actually BUY things I like when I go to the store. Instead I take pictures of everything I like. Saves money and clutter in general but makes my phone and cloud space get full very quickly. Lol
@@chameleonsandcaramel5979 I love the idea of “shopping” by taking pics of things you like! I’m going to try that too. Thank you! I have the same problem with thousands of pics on my phone. I’m horrible about clearing them out! My husband and I will take a pic or show each other (if we’re both at the store) the card we’re “giving” each other for a holiday or a birthday. We read it, love the thought of it, and put it back on the shelf for someone else to enjoy & buy!! We’ll say “Oh, Honey - here’s the anniversary card I’m sending you!” We get a laugh out of it & we save $5 or whatever cards cost nowadays! Wish me luck on my picture shopping!!
I could listen to you for hours. You're hilarious. You may not be a minimalist but you're a realist. I just found your channel and I'm catching up on previous videos. Enjoying watching you from USA.
This was me, from 15 to 25...hahahaha! No criminal activity. I worked FT and housesat, so I made it easy to move from place to place. LOL I saved a TON of money, my nest egg, that 20 years later is letting me live my life.
My variation on the 31 day challenge: Get rid of 31 things on day 1! Then each day 1 less, That way it gets easier, with fewer things per day if your energy lags. And you can give yourself bonus points on days you do more than required!
Wow. That was awesome. We moved from a large house to an 1000 sq ft apartment. I’m ready to get rid of more stuff! I’m going to try your hangar trick to see what I’m actually wearing. Really enjoy you. BTW I’m 81. It’s never too late.
I am 76 a and still trying to downsize...I love my things because of memories, and also I get comfort from my things more than people...The older I get the less time I want to spend with people, that's when I love my little memories around me.. But now is the time for my stuff to go as I may end up living in my camper 😔 😟 so I am starting now to fill camper first with needed stuff, then what is left has to go..All the best you ladies out there we are in this together...Praying ❤️ praying 🙏 for each of us...God 🙌 bless
I'm listening to audiobooks as I declutter. That keeps me from reading everything I come across or tricking myself into keeping things I know I don't want.
That is one thing I am thankful for during this whole CoVid mess. Being at home so much I go from room to room, really seeing my belongings. Have been working several hours everyday going through stuff-keep, donate, or recycle. If it goes in the keep pile, I go through it a second time and put more in the donate pile. I am the first to admit I keep possessions due to the feelings they give me, but not necessarily because I have need them. This year I really am realizing how little I actually need.
@@My_Secret_Sketchbook999 That’s true.I realised when I retired I would shop as bored 😐 However I now walk and distract the urge by gardening and have taken up a watercolour class that I love.
I took my time purging... maybe 3 years, so I wouldn't regret any choice. After 75 years of life...4 grown children (who haven't taken much)...and 50 years of marriage, it truly is a blessing to not be weighed down. One thing I've learned is you can't declutter someone else's things!! (I have a granddaughter named Adalina.) 🙂
I hear you. A few years ago I did the same thing. Uncanny you mentioned $20 because that is the figure for me too. And $10 was on two books I wanted to read again. And then I gave one away when I was done.
I thought I was the only one feeling so overwhelmed starting to do this! Thank you for stressing how overwhelming it can be. I feel like I'm no longer alone.
I have appraised objects for clients for nearly 25 years...the ones they love don't equate to monetary value. Most people want to know the value of the things they don't care about so they can sell them or donate them. Objects spark emotions, it just depends which emotions. The three most valuable categories of objects are fine art, furniture, precious metals including jewelry, monetarily speaking. Other items relate to family history, ancestry, heirlooms etc. Those are priceless so if you are downsizing make sure the important heirlooms go to family members.
Yes, this is more manageable way to look at it for most people. Needs are subjective.. family photos and the few pieces inherited by my grandparents are key for me to keep. Also, aesthetics of items that provide beauty give me joy. Downsizing my China cabinet and special decor was the most difficult.
I sometimes think age plays a part in downsizing. They say you spend the first half of your life collecting stuff and the second half trying to get rid of it. I started my midlife clear out a few years ago,but as a man I have a lot of quality old tools and I worry that if I part with them I would never be able to replace them, as modern tools don,t seem to have the same quality. Also so many of my possessions I have had given and even though I don,t use them I feel a sense of attachment to the person who gave me them. Thanks for another great video,the "go play with yourself" line really made me laugh out loud !!!
With tools, i think the key is strict organization and eliminating doubles and triples of tools. Old tools are usually good, except for the electrics. My mom has three wrenches of her dads hung in a shadow box in the kitchen. He was a tool and die maker, and those were important memories.
I challenged myself a few years ago to get rid of 3 things per day - after two years it's really made a huge difference. Now I'm ready to ramp it up, because I'm hoping to go tiny in about 2-3 years. The momentum is building . . .
Disposable gifts are my go to. Or functional items. Like my daughter moved out on her own this year do she’s getting a nice metal mixing bowl set. And my other children are getting baskets of food items. . .
@@myBIGtinyhouselife I totally agree. I value spending time with those loved ones instead of getting some material item. My middle son is super thoughtful sometimes and he gets me things that are personalized. He had this book made for me. It was a mama bear story of how mom loves the son and the son loves mom. I treasure that so much. He always writes a lot on cards he gives me. He is very thoughtful one year he celebrated me twice on Mother’s Day because he said I deserved to be celebrated on the USA day and the Mexican holiday. So he sent me to work cause he was out of town two gifts flowers, and chocolates. It’s not the gifts it’s the experience and thoughtfulness.
I lost my job due to COVID so we were forced to downsize and at first it was so painful to get rid of my stuff but as I get more into it I am feeling so much lighter. I am still feeling very guilty for the harm I have done to my bank account and the environment.
My dad was a hoarder and a soldier , so we had to move like 26k pounds of stuff every year or two. When I was a teenager I started getting into minimalism bc I in no way wanted to ever have that much stuff in mg house ever again lol
I hate to say this but I relate to your dad. All the memories I have accomplished through the yrs, and my grannys and grandpa's farm things omg.....so precious in our minds lol
I think that I've become a bit of a hoarder because my mum was the opposite. We moved numerous times (my mum had also been in the army, so perhaps it became a habit!) and my mum would just get rid of stuff, including my things that I loved. When I was six, I found that much loved toys hadn't moved with us, like my dolls house (I'm actually feeling that sadness again while writing this) and I once went on a search for my baby dolls and found them hidden in her bedroom, ready to throw out. Losing things that I loved made me want to cling onto things more. I became even more emotionally attached to my toys and ornaments. I now realise that I have a toxic relationship with my belongings. I've had to downsize and am desperately trying to declutter. It's really hard. The one thing I know, for sure, is that being too extreme either way isn't good for us or those affected by our choices.
@@SpiralSister I hoarded all my granny and grandpa's things from way back in the day. could not stand to part with them.......Now I have to My children call it all junk but it is treasure to me lol
My father used to say, "If you haven't used it in the last year you probably don't need it.". I think he was right! I'm getting ready to move from a nearly 1300 sq ft home into a small apartment and I'm definitely going to use some of your suggestions, so thanks!
I don’t know how I stumbled upon this but I LOVED the 1 thing per day idea!!! I’m planning to downsize from a 5br 2-story house to a tiny house and this video was just perfect for clothing and clutter downsizing. Gonna do one room per month and looking forward to it! Thank you!!
On day 1 you get rid of 1thing, day 2 get rid of 2 things (over and above the 1 thing from day 1), day 3 get rid of 3 things (over and above the 1 item from day one AND the 2 items from day 2), and so on. You'll get rid of 496 items in a 31 day month.
I actually ended up doing my own version of this. Since I'm not moving for quite a while, I chose to do just one area of the house, then moved to another area. So I started by focusing on my (way over-cluttered) pantry for a full week.... literally one shelf at a time any time I was in my kitchen. Made the decision to declutter 1-2 things per day. But it's so easy that you ended up doing FAR more than 2 things.... it's kind of addictive after a while. LOL! I think I'm clearing about 5-10 things per day but chose to make the goal very small and very focused on one area. Even cleared out my "junk drawer" in 10mins flat. I'm still decluttering my kitchen one cabinet and one drawer at a time. It's VERY satisfying I must say... mostly because I'm not feeling exhausted with cleaning/decluttering using a goal of only 1-2 things daily YET day by day all the clutter is disappearing. VERY easy and VERY satisfying. I think I'd be overwhelmed with trying to move dozens of things in a day, so this works really well for me. By the time I'm actually ready to move, I'd be all set with zero overwhelm. Love this!! 😊
I made a schedule and listed everything in my house so by move day I had nothing to do. One day all wall items came down even if it only took five minutes that was all I did. Another day I did one junk drawer and again even if it only takes ten or fifteen minutes you are done. That keeps you from ever becoming overwhelmed.
Good for you. I get intimidated by lists. I have tried them a few times. Instead, I am filling a trash bag every day. 7 trashbags is just about perfect to fill my town trash bin.
I totally agree with just doing 5 minutes as a breathtaking concept. Years ago, I was a part of the Sparkpeople community and they recommended 10 minutes of exercise per day and their audience had examples of people who were bed-bound move from 10 minutes exercising in bed to eventually exercising in a wheelchair to a walker and more than one of them ended up doing 5K's by a year or two later. Often just a year later. What surprised me is that they never recommended for people to go over 10 minutes. Their philosophy was that when the 10 minutes got very easy, people would go over and that is what happened. But they were more concerned that when the people got lazy again, they would still stay at that minimum of 10 minutes because stopping completely was the enemy. This week, I was doing my one bag at a time and I was carrying it up the stairs from the basement and it became fun. Fun even though the cellar was full of mold and I had recently had a main line back up with sewage everywhere. It was fun was the thought after, "This isn't as bad as I thought." (I was only doing a bag at a time. I would work for 5 minutes and then come upstairs and watch television and then the next commercial, I would go down for another few minutes and bring another bag up the stairs. I never got winded or tired or frustrated or discouraged. I only needed the energy for a few minutes at a time and I only needed the strength to carry one bag.
I am an organizer and I'm very excited about your sharing how you did the clothes on the hangers and reverse them as you went. It's very visual and it's result-oriented to see exactly what we wear and what we don't wear. I'm going to share that a lot with a lot of people. Thank you very much
This was a really good video for those contemplating tiny house living or who need inspiration for downsizing. One of my favourite pieces of inspiration was a book called "goodbye, things" by a young Japanese man named Fumio Sasaki. After I finished reading it (at 3am) I went through my closet intending only to "get rid of one thing right now" and one hour later I had 100 empty clothes hangers and 2 large piles of clothes to give away! I had been suffering from burnout for 2 years up until that moment, and that book and that action turned my life around! Thanks for the picture of your sweet sleeping kitty. Can't believe it's snowing there when we've been having 20°C weather here in Eastern Ontario! I guess it'll get here soon enough. Thanks Adelina!🇨🇦
I went from a 2000 sq ft house to a 22 foot motorhome and a full-time RVer lifestyle. I started reading The Minimalists in 2010 and by 2012 I had sold the house and was on the road. One thing I did in those 2 years was move from my master bedroom to the guest BR. I only brought over stuff I as needed it. Was about 6 months or so. I then was able to feel confident I could easily get rid of the stuff still in the master BR closet and drawers. Been on the road for 8+ years, and I still have to go through drawers and cabinets to see what I haven't used and get rid of it.
Oh can I ever relate to the Christmas dishes, the "good" dishes, the party glassware, etc. I haven't entertained for years because my home is so cluttered, so thank you for the common sense I needed to hear to get my a++ in gear.
Someone suggested this to me; when you are sentimentally attached to something but don’t need or want it, take a picture of it. When you look at the picture, you will still connect to the memories. Great for broken or stained items!!!
I wanted to say how much I appreciate you making this video. A lot of downsizing/decluttering videos are meant to be trendy with obvious/unhelpful tips from people who didn't actually have a lot of things to begin with. Your video was exactly what I was looking for as a person who's had a long-term place transitioning toward wanting to move to a smaller space. Some of the tips you mentioned were new to me and reasonable. Thank you again!
I inherited my grandmother's house and when she was almost near the end of her life, we needed to do some renovations for the bathroom and hallway so while she was in rehab, I started cleaning out the closets that belonged to my grandmother, and my great grandmother and great uncle and other relatives and I filled a double dumpster with things from their deep closets. Not walk-in mind you. The closets were only as wide as a door with a small bar across but they were amazing at keeping the clutter inside of the closets. Not me. When I have stuff, it spills out of the closets into the room. I have been watching minimalism pages and have started doing one bag a day. I guess that is a variation of the challenge. Well, my basement flooded and I spent a week cleaning up and today, my friend from work showed up and tossed the stuff from half the basement and I was amazed at how many things my grandmother and great grandmother and uncle still had down there. I had only asked for help carrying a few things up but my friend filled up a whole dumpster's worth and if there was room in the dumpster, I would be getting rid of more because there is nothing better than mold and mildew for getting someone to let go of all of the belongings possible.
We have had to move a number of times over the years, and I found that each time we had to move, was a great opportunity to get rid of stuff. But I wanted to tell you that you are a great influencer. I will keep in mind that process of "one thing in one day, two things in two days" etc. Just thinking about one room at a time, I can picture myself easily getting rid of LOTS of things. It is so rewarding.
I’m not a minimalist. I just started my decluttering journey. I’ve noticed that starting is really hard and I tend to keep most of the stuff I’m reviewing. So I pick one category, I select things to sell and donate and put them in a box. I wait a couple days, and I select thing again, from that same category. I do this 3-4 times. Every time gets easier to let go of things. With the “selling” pile, I post everything in Facebook marketplace. If it doesn’t sell in 2 weeks, I donate it.
If you get rid of 1 item on day 1, 2 items on day 2..... by day 30, you will have gotten rid of 528 items! That is quite a challenge but your overall suggestions are great for minimizing!
I didn’t explain it very well so I put a not in the video description notes: On day 1 you get rid of 1thing, day 2 get rid of 2 things (over and above the 1 thing from day 1), day 3 get rid of 3 things (over and above the 1 item from day one AND the 2 items from day 2), and so on. You'll get rid of 496 items in a 31 day month.
Liked & subscribed! You motivated me to pause this video, get up, and put three more items of clothing on my donate pile. I moved into what will probably be my final home ten months ago. I have already purged quite a bit, but have more left to do. The reason for doing this is so that my kids are not stuck with the job whenever I depart to the great beyond, and because I value space and hate clutter. My advice is to keep the job small. I try to get rid of a few items at a time, at least once a week. Just a regular chore, like cleaning the bathroom. 🌸
I enjoyed this video! We are on a slightly different trajectory, and your tips will come in handy! We downsized from 1800 sq. ft. with three outbuildings, to 640 sq. ft. five years ago. We had two weeks notice to move (closing date on sudden sale of our cottage where we were living). We moved with all our belongings into the smaller home which was already furnished, and we were also renovating the smaller house (and we are still renovating the small house). There is one small linen closet, and the kitchen cupboards, no other storage on the main floor. The basement is unfinished, not full height, and was moldy and leaky when we moved in. The garage roof leaked. These storage areas have since been dried in and are drying out. At first we had tunnels between the boxes from the kitchen, bathroom, and the bed. Our most pressing round of downsizing was to tighten up our food supply, such as reducing the two bottles of mustard, two salt shakers, etc. to just one of each. That took a year, no food was thrown out. Our good furniture went to our kids in the first few months. We also donated one whole truckload of furniture, kitchen ware, and good clothing to the women's shelter, and another truckload of the same to the homeless men's shelter. We outfitted a travel trailer, completely. We still have too much stuff, but over time we are finding we are using it up. Our biggest remaining issue with downsizing is our "big house" furniture, which is crammed into a small house. There isn't much room left for the humans. When the structural renovations are completed, we hope to focus on interior storage and appropriately sized furniture, but this is yet to come, as we have other priorities, such as a new roof, siding, and a porch repair, to address first. In the meantime, we grow and preserve much of our own food, cook everything from scratch, recycle everything from composting, sewing old clothes into new items, and washing plastic bags for reuse, and all of this activity takes space. But all of this activity also uses up our existing stuff. Very little goes out to the recycling bin, and we generate only one bag of garbage a month. So we are balancing downsizing with partial self-sufficiency. And we are having a blast.
Margarettt: I agree with the way you used everything up over time. (I HATE waste!) My husband and I took care of my parents for 24 years. My mom went first then after my Dad died, we sold a 2500 square foot duplex that was fully equipped on each side. I sold the extra furniture,linens,etc, but kept all of the food,zip lock bags,etc.,toiletries and cleaning supplies from both apartments. We have been in our 900+ square foot house for six years and I have yet to buy any of those items except food. The Minimal Mom’s concept of inventory makes so much sense,but since I had the storage space,it just didn’t make sense to me to NOT use it up.🤷🏼♀️
I don’t plan on going tiny and I have plenty of space to “hide” things but I still feel trapped with stuff and clutter. I have been on a mission to declutter (Swedish death clean) for a year or more and have made good progress but these tips, a little from here and little from there, are so useful and are delivered in a great fashion. I have an empty in-law apartment downstairs from me where my mom lived, and that is where a lot of my excess ended up. This has given me the incentive to keep going and finally get rid of the stuff that I had a hard time letting go of. I don’t miss the stuff downstairs unless I have to deal with it, which happens regularly, so you have made me realize that if it goes somewhere else, anywhere else, I won’t have to keep dwelling on it. It’s true, anything I have donated or put to the curb (I have a great curb location for that) I no longer think about. Onward and upward then! Thank you. My first viewing of your videos, I subscribed. I love your couch area and windows and will go and look at the rest of your house. I am enamored with tiny houses.
I was always confused by the types of processes that took all of the clutter from the closets and put it in the room. I always failed miserably that way. I am loading one trash bag per day and getting it out of the house right now and that works for me. When I tried to do it with everything out I would just end up with a seriously messy house for a month. It just caused me to collapse. When, instead, I look through the closet and take a few things out every day, it feels much more fun.
@@wishingb5859 I can’t do it that way either. Way too overwhelming and I don’t really have all that much clothing. My curse is paperwork. I hate sorting that.
@@caseyglenar7268 My Coworker has changed my paperwork. He kept drilling it in my head, "Touch it once" and now I have a PO Box and I open the mail at the Post Office and put the envelopes and junk mail in recycling at the post office and I don't take the sales magazines out of their doors. (I could see the same magazines online) Opening the mail at the Post Office has been so good for me. I don't miss bills or tax things and I never have a pile. Once I get home, it is pay the bill and file it. If there is a letter or card from a friend, it is answer it that day. I have a magnetic document pocket attached to my fridge for things that need research but that only happens a few times per year.
I went through my place & donated 3/4 of my stuff. I feel so much lighter & happier. Next up is sentimental items. I started this process as I was tired of dusting & moving things around. Things I wasn't using & didn't enjoy anymore. I also started this process as I'm planning on moving from California to Michigan next summer. I'm planning on taking only what will fit in my car. 🤞
So happy that I’ve just found your channel. I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to empty my late sister in laws house. She was a terrible hoarder and saved/collected everything. It’s taking forever to undo years and years of hoarding. I’m now determined to de-clutter my own belongings so my kids don’t have to do it, so finding your channel is very timely! I followed Marie Condo and use her folding techniques too.
Glad I found your video! What worked for me was coming to the conclusion that I had more income going out than i had income coming in. Ultra stressful. Until I accepted this to be true - I was unable to understand why I struggled so much financially. I wanted the champagne lifestyle on a beer budget so to speak. It was pure madness - I could never achieve it. So after that realization I had chosen to turn inwards. I started watching video's from from other countries such as Varanasi India Beyond, Brittany Taylors early minimalism video's, Timber Hawkeye, Sailing Zatara (they are not minimalists at all but I just LOVE this family!), and so much more. I basically googled "minimalism" and just searched and searched and searched for good quality minimalism video's such as tiny houses and van life. I became very attracted to simple living and what that gave to me. It gave me freedom. Freedom to finally breathe at last - while living with very few things. It gave me relief from financial burdens. I shopped less. Paid my bills. Purchased smarter at the grocery store. I got rid of 90% of my possessions! I wanted to live with the freedom of not owning anything I could not carry or lift myself. I don't miss a thing! I have just what I need. Currently I follow: Heal Your Living and The Minimal Mom on TH-cam. Both are about beautiful people living a solid minimalist lifestyle. They are such a pleasure to watch and very inspiring! I am planning on purchasing a 60L backpack in the future and seeing if I can live out of it! Minimalism has helped me in many areas of my life including a lot of inner reflection, having a solid foundation in daily gratitude, having values and living by them! I love minimalism so much and even though it's been over 5 years practicing I am still minimizing believe it or not!!!! Anyway - however any of you out there live as a minimalist - I wish you all a beautiful day - within and without. Peace Everyone.
I am sentimental and know who gave me almost everything I have. So, when my parents died within a few months of each other it was hard to part with their things. I read someplace to only keep something if 1) you have an actual need for it, 2) there’s a history or story behind it, or 3) you love it. I still love too many things, but I did get rid of much more than I might have without this advice.
What's the strangest thing in your pile? I just sold an identical Walkman to a guy like in Pretty Woman. Puzzles, lots of subjects on tons of things. A half dozen things with flamingos on them. Lots of Kleenex boxes (sinus). 12 billion plastic containers that never make it "away." I just put like stuff together and move on
Yes! I've been on a mission for some time decluttering and leaning toward minimalism to help alleviate sensory issues and anxiety. Also looking for videos to send to my mother who needs inspiration.
I’m in the process of downsizing to prepare for when my 4 th son graduates next summer. I will be selling my 3 bdm home and it will be a major undertaking after 30 plus years raising kids. My biggest challenge is photos! I’m researching tiny homes and appreciate your info and tips. You are doing exactly what I’m hoping to do! except living in a cold climate, i’ve been in Wisconsin for 30 yrs and never want to shovel or drive in snow again!!
What did you end up doing with the photos? I am facing this challenge right now. I hate to just throw them away but in this era of digital pictures....
Two years ago I needed to get new glasses, so I bought stemless wine glasses. They look like an elegant water glass and have more than one use. Right now I'm in the process of decluttering and reorganising everything. It's always inspiring hearing from others who have been through it.
So excited to know you live in a tiny house in Calgary. I live in Medicine Hat. I’ve only just begun my minimalist journey and believe that minimalism is unique to each person. What is minimalist for one may not be for another. But as long as I’m working on reducing my things I am more minimalist than I was before. I don’t feel the need to compare myself to others but I do enjoy learning from the experiences and experiments of others. Thank you for your vlog. I wish you success.
Hello…this is so helpful to me and I’m just halfway thru the video! I wanted to tell you it really is helpful as I have been working on downsizing for over a year. I have been donating lots of things but have so much more to do. My husband of 47 years passed and I decided after about 3 years that I needed a smaller home. Living in this 2 story house 43 years has accumulated much. Thank you for sharing helpful information! Best wishes!
Thank you for your viewpoint. I’ve been on this minimializing path for the last year now for our own things. Nice to hear from someone that doesn’t want to sell me thing to organize my stuff. LOL. I actually do like that idea of taking everything out and then only putting back what you need. I think that would be a great way to tackle my kitchen and pantry. Good thing to do while isolating and limiting our exposure while we deal with Covid. Sending well wishes from Vancouver, stay safe.....😃
Adelina I love your channel and could watch you all day! You're like listening to a good friend. It makes me wish I could sit and have coffee with you! I did my second downsize about 5 years ago, and at that time I had to put most of my things in storage for 3 months. I remember so clearly having the closest thing to a panic attack I've experienced because my storage space was too small and everything would not fit, so I rented a second space. Over the 3 months, I couldn't even remember most of what I had in there and by time I moved in to my condo had donated or sold most of it. I felt a HUGE weight had been lifted and will never forget how good it felt. I haven't missed one thing! It was such a good life lesson! Also, being vegan, I would LOVE your creamer recipe! You are so inspiring! Looking forward to your next video! 😊
I love art and have a huge piece of art that hangs on the wall in my office (which was supposed to be a small dining room). The piece is 4' x 4'. I've waited 50 years to own an art piece like this and I won't be giving it up. So, although my house is considered small, I do have art on the walls and therefore need lots of wall space. I really hate clutter, however, and love hearing about minimalist practices. I like my house to have lots of open space. It creates a space of calm.
I'm in my year or so window of moving to somewhere smaller. I won't be in a tiny home but something around 800 square feet, from almost 1800 now. I have emptied out loft already and half of my office. My goal is to only have my desk, a lamp, chair and my desktop in my office, along with a few pictures on the wall. Both closets are empty, save for my 2 fancy dresses. I've been a minimalist for 30 years and it ebbs and flows, with your lifestyle. Sometimes I had more or less, big or small spaces. My requirement, right now, for anything I am keeping, is it used to be on a scale from 1 to 10, things had to be a 5 or above to be considered a keep. Now, it's an 9 or10 and that's it and boy! I am loving it! And I am loving my spaces! I then put like with like and saw where I had too much extra. I then organized by the categories that mattered to me: Health, work, animals, hobbies, comfort. Many things overlapped but I have what fits my lifestyle. I've been following The Minimalists for years and they are fun! Thanks for the video!
Girl you just said Alberta! I was born in YYC and raised in YEG. My apartment is only 635 sq feet and it's so cluttered! Your 10 mins of advice has already got me started. Subscribed 🙌
@19:39 'Decide what's MOST IMPORTANT..." ❤ When our WHY/WHAT is clear we figure out the HOW. Amen. I'm listening as I am moving into a studio/refitted room with my belongings piled up, while deciding where things go, how to organize the space AND WHY it is worth it 🙌🏻
If living on a low traffic street, just post a note under craigslist's "free" section saying it's at the curb, first to grab it, it's yours. "Free" is in their "for sale" section.
I found that one big motivation for me to downsize was the fact that I went from a 2 bedroom average apartment to a really small room at my mom's. My stuff was in storage for over 2 years, and when I finally got my own place again, it was really easy to donate a lot of the stuff, because not having room for it, and it being boxed up in storage for 2 years.
Books - tough for me. So I pulled out all the books I had from 20 years ago (keep reference books) gave them to friends or donated them. Then I went through books from 15 years ago, then 10 years ago. Our interests change through the years - so I was able to justify letting them go. Note I kept my favorite Herbal books, Spiritual books, Essential oil books, a few favorite cook books - recipes now online.
This is very good advice! Very relatable for me how you went from accumulation to deliberately downsizing. I've been a minimalist for most of my life (though to be fair I've noticed the criteria for minimalism has shifted somewhat, so I'm no longer considered minimalist), but if you have to downsize all at once, my best tip is to think of the things that you like to obsess over and let yourself have as much of that as you can /neatly contain/ in your space. That could mean a lot of different things - when I moved in with my partner I downsized an entire craft room into one 6' tall, 4' wide bookshelf by focusing on my obsession with paper crafting. I got rid of everything else, most of which I discovered I didn't use more than once or twice a year. Also recognize if you are a novelty junkie, like I am. I love having new pens, but I get disgusted after a while because I have WAY TOO MANY, so I constantly have to fight the urge to buy new stationery. It's maddening, but worth it because I feel so much calmer in a clean, organized space.
I’m so happy that you popped up on here I’ve been wanting to find some kind of help to declutter for quite some time now thank you so much for sharing this with us . I’m starting by just going through a few drawers & my clothes . I feel that if I haven’t worn something & still hanging in the closet I don’t need or want it anymore . I’ve got a lot of memories from my parents since they passed away but , I’m letting most everything go . Again , thank you for sharing this sweetie I love it !!!
Thanks for the video! I’m probably not going to be moving into a “tiny house” but most likely will be having to downsize majorly (for me) in a few months. You gave me some helpful information to feel like there are things I can go ahead and start doing to feel like I will be able to make that transition more smoothly for myself. My biggest problems with downsizing in general are 1) I am EXTREMELY sentimental, and 2) my “maybe” pile or “not sure” basket ends up way too big. Like WAY bigger than the “get rid of” pile. But hey, I guess every little bit counts. The $20, 20 minutes thing was helpful, too, as well as being reminded “what do you want more? What is more important or priority to you?” Thanks a bunch.
Love this video & your calm soothing voice! Thank you! I love blessing people with items and books that I think that they would enjoy. So far I am batting 💯 percent. It becomes a joy rather than a burden to let go of those things knowing that they will continue to have a “good home.”God bless!!
I took your advice, I watched Minimalism on Netflix, two thumbs up. I went through that "extras" box of Christmas decor and saw that I had a number of commercial stuff that I didn't actually want and certainly didn't love. I put a post on my local Facebook group and gave away most of the commercial stuff, some items haven't gone yet but they may still go later. It felt so good to get my amount of stuff down and make someone else's day having Christmas Cheer. I already had done clothes before I saw your video, so next stop is Kitchen gadgets. I know for certain I have multiple sets of knives (presents past). I tried telling my family no presents, but they are stubborn! Thank you, I hope you keep producing. You really helped me!
My 3rd (and youngest child) just moved out this week. Feeling the empty nest in a BIG way! Projects like the 31 day challenge will help keep my mind off having an empty nest which I am struggling with at the moment and also accomplishing a big goal at the same time. Looking forward to doing some home improvement tasks as well and maybe one day I can transition to a tiny home - it is a dream! Thanks for the motivation.
Just found you a week ago I love your tiny home ..I live in Texas on some land yes im a rancher ive been in my land for 20 years and just now building my new home I lived in a trailer home anyways I raise my kids and now I am getting my dream home a one bed room home with one small craft room a tiny home with small kitchen liveing room and a bathroom..Yes I have to down size my entire home because the way I live now I wont fit lol..I choose a small home because we wont be young forever and I didnt want a big house to clean up made no sense all the kids have moved away now..So I want my happy home a small tiny home.. I love watching your channel cause you give so many great ideas.. Thank you for shareing and from us in the 🇺🇸 you inspired a whole lot of folks.. Be bless and be safe..
I will be moving out of state and into a room half the size of my apartment bedroom which is already very small. The process if condensing my life has been overwhelming. You gave a lot of tools for my tool box and have helped me so much!
Great ideas. I just pulled all of my clothes out and picked out the things I hadn't worn in a year. I did this several times. Each time changing the reason for not needed something. It felt so good. I need to go through one more time and I think i will have my clothes done. I love the hanger idea. Thank you again!💕🐈
I have begun to realize that I have too much stuff...stuff that's been in my attic or in hutches and not used for years and years. If it's out of sight, it's out of mind and I don't use it. I have also worked, caring for the elderly in the senior housing living complexes and the amount of storage they have is really small...a couple of closets and not a lot of cupboards, and perhaps a storage unit in the basement. This made me realize I have got to get rid of a TON of stuff, and I don't want it to be painful or done at the last minute when good decisions may not be made. I like your ideas and setting a challenge for myself (as I eye my hutch that I just dragged the good dishes out of for Thanksgiving dinner). Over the years I've realized I am an emotional keeper (so and so gave this to me!), but I need to overcome that and keep only the truly meaningful things and not the somewhat okay sweater that has a cardinal on it. I'm glad I peeked in on your channel today!
Hello Karen. I know exactly how you feel. It was a process for me over several years so it wouldn’t be overwhelming. I didn’t want my kids to have to deal with it when I’m gone. Good luck ❤️🙏🏼☺️.
Thank you for this video and all these tips! Im actually moving in with my partner in a few months, with my 2 kids and his, 3. So, we are not downsizing at all! Itll be 7 people under one roof. So, having tips like this can be a lifesaver/space saver in a larger home as well😊
I've told you this before: I wish you were my mom.❤ I really feel that I could learn a lot from you. I believe we could have fun conversations over pancakes and coffee (I drink only black coffee, by the way.😉) I heart you. ❤💋
Thanks Jenny. I spent hours and hours with my mom in the kitchen having coffee, eating freshly baked bread and talking. I miss her so much but when I bake it reminds me of her. My youngest (21) also drinks coffee black ☺️❤️.
I have wanted to comment on your gorgeous fiestaware collection for a long time. I live about 30 minutes north of the fiesta ware store in Newell, wv and have found my collection makes me smile. Like you, I chose several colors (and several styles) and so enjoy using them. Talking myself into a trip to see what’s new. It just has to fit into the allocated space. That’s a game I play. Determine how much room you are willing to give - fill in the blank- and you either stop or trade out items so it all fits in the space.
Great tips! This video showed up in my feed at a great time since we just downsized from a five bedroom house with an attic and garage to one of two bedrooms with no attic or garage. Though we spent the last two years clearing out, we still brought way too much stuff. We did rent off site storage, and your tips will help when we start clearing that out. For me, one of the biggest issues was also the kitchen, but my craft stuff runs a close second. Many thanks!
Ahh, craft stuff! I still hope to convert the attic to a craft room, but alas there is too much other stuff up there now. My goal is to minamalize, repair this old house, and make it worth a fortune fir the next home owner.
Very good presentation, thank you! I've been good at paring down over and over again because I've moved 22 times in the last 43 years. (I actually enjoy changing where I live.) It's a real incentive to pare down when you know you're going to be paying to move all this stuff. I, like you, have saved about 6 big plastic bins of clothes, stuffed animals, and school projects from when my two daughters were in grade school. But I'll always keep those whether or not I "need" them. A lot of the things I keep are because of sentimental reasons. They just are comforting physical reminders of different phases of my life! I've also found that it's a cycle that I collect things, then when it's time to move, I pare down by selling things at a garage sale or on Craigslist, then after I move, I start the process over again, but on a smaller and wiser scale.
Would LOVE the recipe! I am so glad to find your channel. So many times I feel the tiny home videos are from people who aren’t into cooking, or varying their wardrobes, etc. Thank you for all you share.
The hubby and I are downsizing right now as we prepare to sell our house and RV full time! Yikes! I was surprised how little I cared about most of our furniture but the area I struggled with is my craft room! Especially my cardstock and 12x12 paper pads. But I finally realized I could buy these things at anytime at a craft store and I sold some and donated some. Not done yet but moving along at a gallop! Thanks for the info!
Thank you for this video. It is everything that I needed to hear today. I've been agonizing over downsizing. How to do it, how to get started etc. I've been an emotional and physical wreck thinking about this. But your calm approach has helped me to confirm this is what I want to do and not to be afraid of missing my things for needing something after the fact. The $20 / 20 minute tip Will be employed :-)
I had to "flip the switch" in my attitude about my stuff before I could get rid of it. I'm still going through it, and it's been over a year. What a mental process, finding the strength, and the right attitudes, to eliminate possessions!
I also like the thought in addition to the 20mins for $20 or less, that you are just paying whatever store to hold the item for you till you need it, rather than you holding onto things ‘just in case’. Id much rather pay more a bit later on to hire or repurchase something i may need, than store everything here just in case.
I enjoyed you video. I'm just south of you in Kalispell MT. Currently in a 14x60 mobile home. Have just felt a urgent need to get rid of stuff. I'm not having to much trouble letting go. Stuff has set here in my place for 11 years and 80%, or close to that amount, of everything I have, I haven't used. So out it's going. Clothing, dishes, furniture, if not needed why have it? Guess in a way I'm burning bridges at the same time. I'm super excited at the prospects. I won't be buying a tiny house, but coukd end up in a class C camper or maybe try van life at some point. But purging STUFF has to come first. Thanks for your tips. Oh, and yes, I'm keeping my cat!
I started to be realistic about the excess items we had in our small home a few years ago. For anyone who has experienced the cleaning out of a home after the death of a family member or perhaps their transition from a home to small senior living, care facility, etc., it can REALLY open your eyes to how much time, management, and space things take up in our homes and lives. I heard somewhere that an average US home has approx 330000 items! I was inspired by watching decluttering on TJ WAYS as she moved through her Marie K. process and a little more extreme, but valuable, ABUNDANTLY MINIMAL. I did the month challenge to really get started at the beginning of each season, but kept going from there each time. It also really helped me to have an OUT plan for everything, too. Bags, boxes and tubs set up for giving to friends, thrift shops, charity collections, consignment, recycling, shredding and garbage. If I did not do this in a quick turn around it easily became just another area of clutter for later, another form of mess for yourself. Love these videos and the supportive comments from viewers!
Hi Marianne. Yes, it’s shocking how much can accumulate over a lifetime. I’m hoping that my kids won’t have too big of a job when the time comes. Yes! There is a lovely community of people in here 🙏🏼❤️.
Very helpful. Husband and I are starting on this journey of going through the process of downsizing from a huge house. I don't think we'll ever be minimalist but we'll be less taxed by things. It's been overwhelming. Your tips are great.
Just came across your video and so happy to find a fellow Canadian living in a tiny house, I’m currently in a condo,but eventually want to get out and move into a tiny house. I’ve also been practicing a more minimalist lifestyle for three years and still working on reducing my possessions
I love your tiny house and all your innovations!! Your commitment to do it your way because you want it to be YOUR happy place is very heartwarming. It definitely motivated me to start cleaning out my un- needed stuff. Then I did it again and again..what FREEDOM!!! I love spending time with you and your chats!! I'm a cat person too..your ideas for her are amazing! Thank you for being a giving person in your attitude towards all of us out here!! Peace!!
Great video. I’ve got lots of stuff that I should probably sort out and get rid of but for the last six months I’ve decided not to buy anything other than food, and appreciate what I already have. I’m not downsizing, but you’ve motivated me to sort out clothes etc and items I haven’t used for a long time and bag them up.
I'm doing the same - not buying anything unless it's absolutely necessary. One needs to buy food of course, and occasionally replace worn out clothes, but other than that make the most of what you have, and reduce the unused stuff day by day.
I am so very grateful for this video. I am thinking about moving to a tiny house and I am petrified with the thought of having to let go of stuff I really love and have a history with only to move to a pre designed space. Now I am willing to let go AND trusting I can keep, what my heart still needs :-)
This was great, thanks! Not moving to a tiny house (unfortunately), but after downsizing a lot already, I now have to downsize again to move to a tiny flat. Was feeling a bit overwhelmed, but this has really re-inspired me. Thank you! (Love that you're vegan too :) )
Thank you so much. The lease to my apartment is up at the end of this year and I plan on moving into a class b motorhome. I realize to most that would seem like plenty of time to get rid of the majority of my things but I'm the type of person that has a hard time letting things go. Your ideas will certain help me achieve my goals. Thanks again!
Honestly, one of the best videos I’ve seen on minimalism. No distracting music, no annoying special effects. Just simple, honest, genuine and very useful advice from someone who seems very real, genuine and kind. Love it 💕
Thanks so much 🙏🏼😊
Agree!
Ditto that. Hi from Australia 🇦🇺
Thanks so much 😊
Thanks. Hello from 🇨🇦
I do this backwards: Day 1 I got rid of 31 items; Day 2 was 30 items, etc. I had more energy and focus at the beginning of the month. Did this in Nov and got rid of 339 items. Didn’t do it in Dec. haven’t done it this month. I’ll start again in February!
Great video! A Colorado Viewer
Hi Pat. That’s ingenious! You’re right that you always have more motivation at the beginning. Thanks for sharing ☺️🙏🏼.
This makes sense to me!
Great idea!!!
I did the same! Backwards makes so much more sense to me!
I thought about doing what you said, but it does not work for me, I realized I have very little amount of out fits Lol! . But I love your idea I will do it for my kitchen items witch I have to much, thanks!
We were downsizing in retirement and I had trouble choosing what to get rid of because we hadn't found a new house yet. I started focusing on what I really wanted to keep and that helped. I would clear a room out, clean, paint whatever it needed and then look through the stuff and chose my favorite things and put them back. I started to love the less cluttered look and it got easier to get rid of things. When we listed our clean, decluttered house it sold the first day. And my smaller house does not seem smaller and it's lovely being surrounded by only things you love.
That’s a great way to approach it. Good for you! 😊
This is my approach, thereby creating a space for a new thing to happen.
Congratulations on your actions of decluttering and selling your house on the first day. I bet you felt wonderful that all that work paid off so quickly paid off paid off congratulations again
But when i got the house. I now need many costly items abandoned or tossed out 😨
@@eScential sometimes (often) there are ways to find the things without buying them new. So many people are moving, downsizing, tossing, there’s an abundance.
The designer William Morris (an ancestor of mine) said, "have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." Lovely video.
I love that quote. Words to live by 😊.
I had to add know to be useful at this present moment/time.
Sherry,the problem is I love lots of beautiful things in my house,could be cheap things but arty and lovely,Love our William Morris x
😂
@@LarryNewmanSusanNewman haaaaa from Athens Greece
Even if you do not live in a tiny house, this video is very valuable. Downsizing your possessions can be very freeing emotionally. When your possessions own you, you have less time for creativity and other things in your life. I do not live in a tiny house, but I have realized just how much "stuff" my husband and I have accumulated over the years that we really do not need. For the last year, I have been working on trying to minimize a vast array of possessions that we never use. I had kind of fallen behind on that task. This video is so inspiring to me to tackle doing that again with a more focused mission. Thank you for posting this video..
Thanks Nancy! 😊
Yes, am clearing my place out in a big way now, a friend said to me “We have no obligation to haul the previous generations stuff through our lives”.
That’s a great philosophy 🙏🏼❤️😊
Live your free life Creatively because it's your RIGHT please. Live your life- do whatever- take that first step. PEACE
🙏🏼😊
I have a gift rule. Something to eat or drink; read; burn (candles/the type I use); need for garden (manure, etc).
Excellent rule. Better for you and better for the environment 😊🙏🏼
Right! Something that can be used up.
I tell everybody that if they want to give me a gift just give champagne. I'll even take a bottle of prosecco from Aldi!
❤️🤣❤️
I use this when buying adults presents all the time
I began my minimal life when I moved from a house to an RV. BIG CHANGE. For my kitchen, I emptied one very big cabinet in my kitchen. As I cooked, I put in it the items I used. Plates, bowls, appliances, etc. When it became full, I began the process of deciding what must stay in the cabinet, or what must go. Now, I moved to the RV before clearing out the house. I put into the cabinets in the RV what I felt I needed, and I began cooking in the RV. If I was missing something, I went back to get it. If it fit in the RV, great. If my RV was full, then I had to decide if I could live without it, or something in my RV cabinets. I am so grateful for that. It really helped me box up everything left in the kitchen and move it on to others. And I learned how little I really need to cook.
That’s a great way to do it 😊.
I did about the same thing, but didn’t have too much time (hours), after moving from a townhouse to our RV. But I haven’t missed much! And so true about replacing anything missing in less than 20 minutes or $20!
The next hurdle was deciding what to keep after my parents died. 🤷🏼
My Instant Pot has been a huge help in reducing the amount of stuff we have in the kitchen. There’s so much that can be done with it!
Don't tempt me. LOL
I think that minimalism is only having possessions that serve you. If you have stuff you don't need, it's a burden.
Yes
Very well said 👍
I agree
"need" is very subjective
So true!
I find that being in the right 'mood' is essential... Those pragmatic days are the best to get rid of stuff!
Very good! Thank you. When I am in a place where I can lead my thoughts with reason and logic, and follow with emotion, pragmatism is much easier. If I lead with emotion, reason and logic don't get a voice.
It's funny how we always want what we don't have. I used to live in a tiny cramped apt for many years before I was finally able to afford a much larger 4 br home. I feel so blessed to have this larger home with extra rooms to host family/friends and have extra space for things I love, like craft room and home office to work from home. I used to feel claustrophobic in my tiny apt. Now I am very grateful for the extra space. I guess it can be said that I have too much stuff, but I shop wisely on a budget and only purchase what I love so I no longer feel guilty ridden about it. My lesson learned is this: Big space or little space, do whatever makes you happy because life is too short to be in a constant state of misery. After living in a cramped apt for so many years, I now wake up everyday ever so grateful and I thank God for finally having a bigger space.
I agree Carolyn, do what makes you happy 😊.
I have a very hard time parting with items, but my daughter suggested I take photos of each of the items in question.That way I have the remembrance of the item and can release the actual item thereby decreasing clutter. So much easier to get rid of stuff this way.
Thanks for sharing Susan, I think most of us have a hard time letting go🙏🏼☺️.
I took pictures too and have 7,000 plus pics on my phone!! Haha! I photographed everything that my parents had (after they passed), and we are selling the stuff they hoarded. Watching a lot of it mold or rust has been another mental hurdle. 😢
Yeah, I do that sometimes, too! My problem is I have literally THOUSANDS of photos on my phone/backed up already because I do stuff like that all the time. That’s even how I shop! I rarely actually BUY things I like when I go to the store. Instead I take pictures of everything I like. Saves money and clutter in general but makes my phone and cloud space get full very quickly. Lol
Great idea
@@chameleonsandcaramel5979 I love the idea of “shopping” by taking pics of things you like! I’m going to try that too. Thank you! I have the same problem with thousands of pics on my phone. I’m horrible about clearing them out! My husband and I will take a pic or show each other (if we’re both at the store) the card we’re “giving” each other for a holiday or a birthday. We read it, love the thought of it, and put it back on the shelf for someone else to enjoy & buy!! We’ll say “Oh, Honey - here’s the anniversary card I’m sending you!” We get a laugh out of it & we save $5 or whatever cards cost nowadays! Wish me luck on my picture shopping!!
I could listen to you for hours. You're hilarious. You may not be a minimalist but you're a realist. I just found your channel and I'm catching up on previous videos. Enjoying watching you from USA.
Thanks Connie! ☺️🇨🇦
Me too!! Watched you tonight instead of Netflix!!🤣
🙏🏼😊
Same here! Subscribed! ☮️
Thirty years ago I worked with a guy who could get everything he owned into his car in an hour. "Cause you never know when you might want to leave."
Was he on the witness protection program? LOL
@@myBIGtinyhouselife The guys at the mine were thinking criminal activity of some sort.
@@myBIGtinyhouselife Great, humourous response!
This was me, from 15 to 25...hahahaha! No criminal activity. I worked FT and housesat, so I made it easy to move from place to place. LOL I saved a TON of money, my nest egg, that 20 years later is letting me live my life.
Sounds like non-commitment syndrome rather than minimalism.
My variation on the 31 day challenge:
Get rid of 31 things on day 1! Then each day 1 less, That way it gets easier, with fewer things per day if your energy lags. And you can give yourself bonus points on days you do more than required!
Wow. That was awesome. We moved from a large house to an 1000 sq ft apartment. I’m ready to get rid of more stuff! I’m going to try your hangar trick to see what I’m actually wearing. Really enjoy you. BTW I’m 81. It’s never too late.
Thank you Myrna. So nice t meet you ☺️.
Omg I am 79 and as a young lady on here said a hoarder of what I called treasures and precious memories that just have to stay in my mind.
I am 76 a and still trying to downsize...I love my things because of memories, and also I get comfort from my things more than people...The older I get the less time I want to spend with people, that's when I love my little memories around me.. But now is the time for my stuff to go as I may end up living in my camper 😔 😟 so I am starting now to fill camper first with needed stuff, then what is left has to go..All the best you ladies out there we are in this together...Praying ❤️ praying 🙏 for each of us...God 🙌 bless
Hi Christine. I like the way you're approaching it. Good luck 😁❤️
Hi Merle. Good luck! ❤️😊
I'm listening to audiobooks as I declutter. That keeps me from reading everything I come across or tricking myself into keeping things I know I don't want.
So smart! I'm gonna try this.👍🏽
😊
I am purging on a regular basis. Thanks for the common sense experience.
That is one thing I am thankful for during this whole CoVid mess. Being at home so much I go from room to room, really seeing my belongings. Have been working several hours everyday going through stuff-keep, donate, or recycle. If it goes in the keep pile, I go through it a second time and put more in the donate pile. I am the first to admit I keep possessions due to the feelings they give me, but not necessarily because I have need them. This year I really am realizing how little I actually need.
Avoid shopping malls. It worked for me. I distracted myself with reading books, housework, gardening.
@@My_Secret_Sketchbook999
That’s true.I realised when I retired I would shop as bored 😐 However I now walk and distract the urge by gardening and have taken up a watercolour class that I love.
I took my time purging... maybe 3 years, so I wouldn't regret any choice. After 75 years of life...4 grown children (who haven't taken much)...and 50 years of marriage, it truly is a blessing to not be weighed down. One thing I've learned is you can't declutter someone else's things!! (I have a granddaughter named Adalina.) 🙂
Honestly I got rid of 3/4 of my things and there was less than $20 worth of things I ended up needing later
Me too! LOL.
We have 1600 sq.ft. A lot is empty space....big living room and kitchen, huge master bedroom.
Tina
I hear you. A few years ago I did the same thing. Uncanny you mentioned $20 because that is the figure for me too. And $10 was on two books I wanted to read again. And then I gave one away when I was done.
There's always fear, or excuse, about needing something later. At least in my experience, it rarely happens.
I thought I was the only one feeling so overwhelmed starting to do this! Thank you for stressing how overwhelming it can be. I feel like I'm no longer alone.
I have appraised objects for clients for nearly 25 years...the ones they love don't equate to monetary value. Most people want to know the value of the things they don't care about so they can sell them or donate them. Objects spark emotions, it just depends which emotions. The three most valuable categories of objects are fine art, furniture, precious metals including jewelry, monetarily speaking. Other items relate to family history, ancestry, heirlooms etc. Those are priceless so if you are downsizing make sure the important heirlooms go to family members.
Yes, this is more manageable way to look at it for most people. Needs are subjective.. family photos and the few pieces inherited by my grandparents are key for me to keep.
Also, aesthetics of items that provide beauty give me joy. Downsizing my China cabinet and special decor was the most difficult.
I subscribed to your channel from this excellent overview you wrote... that really affects one's life!
Thank you! 😊
I sometimes think age plays a part in downsizing. They say you spend the first half of your life collecting stuff and the second half trying to get rid of it. I started my midlife clear out a few years ago,but as a man I have a lot of quality old tools and I worry that if I part with them I would never be able to replace them, as modern tools don,t seem to have the same quality. Also so many of my possessions I have had given and even though I don,t use them I feel a sense of attachment to the person who gave me them.
Thanks for another great video,the "go play with yourself" line really made me laugh out loud !!!
Hi Tim. I think the tools are worth finding a spot for, as long as you use them. I agree with your philosophy about the stages in life 🙏🏼😊.
With tools, i think the key is strict organization and eliminating doubles and triples of tools. Old tools are usually good, except for the electrics. My mom has three wrenches of her dads hung in a shadow box in the kitchen. He was a tool and die maker, and those were important memories.
One tip is to ask yourself if you had to pay airfare for item would you? If not it can go.
I challenged myself a few years ago to get rid of 3 things per day - after two years it's really made a huge difference. Now I'm ready to ramp it up, because I'm hoping to go tiny in about 2-3 years. The momentum is building . . .
Fantastic!
Good idea. I will try this.
😁
☺️
Would like to hear an Update please ?
I love that idea of no gifts. I don’t like for them to get me gifts.
Disposable gifts are my go to. Or functional items. Like my daughter moved out on her own this year do she’s getting a nice metal mixing bowl set. And my other children are getting baskets of food items. . .
I got a gift card for a thrift shop, and a gift card for a craft store. My son gave me his old electric drill. Tina
No, it’s really because we tend to value experiences over things.
@@myBIGtinyhouselife I totally agree. I value spending time with those loved ones instead of getting some material item. My middle son is super thoughtful sometimes and he gets me things that are personalized. He had this book made for me. It was a mama bear story of how mom loves the son and the son loves mom. I treasure that so much. He always writes a lot on cards he gives me. He is very thoughtful one year he celebrated me twice on Mother’s Day because he said I deserved to be celebrated on the USA day and the Mexican holiday. So he sent me to work cause he was out of town two gifts flowers, and chocolates. It’s not the gifts it’s the experience and thoughtfulness.
He sounds lovely and you’ve obviously done a good job of raising an amazing human ❤️❤️
I lost my job due to COVID so we were forced to downsize and at first it was so painful to get rid of my stuff but as I get more into it I am feeling so much lighter. I am still feeling very guilty for the harm I have done to my bank account and the environment.
Please take care and stay strong 🙏🏼❤️.
I hear you on the bank account.
I love what you said. Yes be gentle and kind to ourselves. ❤️❤️❤️
@Cheryl McKenney 💕thank you for your kindness.
Don't feel bad, Daisy! We all grow into our better decisions! G Ire
This is literally the coziest video I have ever seen. 🥰
My dad was a hoarder and a soldier , so we had to move like 26k pounds of stuff every year or two. When I was a teenager I started getting into minimalism bc I in no way wanted to ever have that much stuff in mg house ever again lol
I hate to say this but I relate to your dad. All the memories I have accomplished through the yrs, and my grannys and grandpa's farm things omg.....so precious in our minds lol
I think that I've become a bit of a hoarder because my mum was the opposite. We moved numerous times (my mum had also been in the army, so perhaps it became a habit!) and my mum would just get rid of stuff, including my things that I loved.
When I was six, I found that much loved toys hadn't moved with us, like my dolls house (I'm actually feeling that sadness again while writing this) and I once went on a search for my baby dolls and found them hidden in her bedroom, ready to throw out.
Losing things that I loved made me want to cling onto things more. I became even more emotionally attached to my toys and ornaments.
I now realise that I have a toxic relationship with my belongings. I've had to downsize and am desperately trying to declutter. It's really hard.
The one thing I know, for sure, is that being too extreme either way isn't good for us or those affected by our choices.
That’s exactly why I’m a minimalist. 🦋
Mia, same with my dad. He hoarded because he grew up with NOTHING. 😢
@@SpiralSister I hoarded all my granny and grandpa's things from way back in the day. could not stand to part with them.......Now I have to My children call it all junk but it is treasure to me lol
I've been purging (again) and it reminded me of the summer I lived in my '73 VW Beetle. Simpler times, but I had everything I needed.
It's hard but worth it. It's amazing how good you can feel when you have less clutter.
My father used to say, "If you haven't used it in the last year you probably don't need it.". I think he was right! I'm getting ready to move from a nearly 1300 sq ft home into a small apartment and I'm definitely going to use some of your suggestions, so thanks!
I don’t know how I stumbled upon this but I LOVED the 1 thing per day idea!!! I’m planning to downsize from a 5br 2-story house to a tiny house and this video was just perfect for clothing and clutter downsizing. Gonna do one room per month and looking forward to it! Thank you!!
That’s awesome! Good luck 🙏🏼☺️.
Was it 1 thing per day? I understood 1 thing on day 1, 2 things on day 2, etc.
On day 1 you get rid of 1thing, day 2 get rid of 2 things (over and above the 1 thing from day 1), day 3 get rid of 3 things (over and above the 1 item from day one AND the 2 items from day 2), and so on. You'll get rid of 496 items in a 31 day month.
I actually ended up doing my own version of this. Since I'm not moving for quite a while, I chose to do just one area of the house, then moved to another area. So I started by focusing on my (way over-cluttered) pantry for a full week.... literally one shelf at a time any time I was in my kitchen.
Made the decision to declutter 1-2 things per day. But it's so easy that you ended up doing FAR more than 2 things.... it's kind of addictive after a while. LOL! I think I'm clearing about 5-10 things per day but chose to make the goal very small and very focused on one area.
Even cleared out my "junk drawer" in 10mins flat. I'm still decluttering my kitchen one cabinet and one drawer at a time. It's VERY satisfying I must say... mostly because I'm not feeling exhausted with cleaning/decluttering using a goal of only 1-2 things daily YET day by day all the clutter is disappearing. VERY easy and VERY satisfying. I think I'd be overwhelmed with trying to move dozens of things in a day, so this works really well for me. By the time I'm actually ready to move, I'd be all set with zero overwhelm. Love this!! 😊
Good for you! ☺️🙏🏼
I made a schedule and listed everything in my house so by move day I had nothing to do. One day all wall items came down even if it only took five minutes that was all I did. Another day I did one junk drawer and again even if it only takes ten or fifteen minutes you are done. That keeps you from ever becoming overwhelmed.
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙏🏼☺️.
Good for you. I get intimidated by lists. I have tried them a few times. Instead, I am filling a trash bag every day. 7 trashbags is just about perfect to fill my town trash bin.
I also do a trash bag full of Good Will for the weekend.
I totally agree with just doing 5 minutes as a breathtaking concept. Years ago, I was a part of the Sparkpeople community and they recommended 10 minutes of exercise per day and their audience had examples of people who were bed-bound move from 10 minutes exercising in bed to eventually exercising in a wheelchair to a walker and more than one of them ended up doing 5K's by a year or two later. Often just a year later. What surprised me is that they never recommended for people to go over 10 minutes. Their philosophy was that when the 10 minutes got very easy, people would go over and that is what happened. But they were more concerned that when the people got lazy again, they would still stay at that minimum of 10 minutes because stopping completely was the enemy. This week, I was doing my one bag at a time and I was carrying it up the stairs from the basement and it became fun. Fun even though the cellar was full of mold and I had recently had a main line back up with sewage everywhere. It was fun was the thought after, "This isn't as bad as I thought." (I was only doing a bag at a time. I would work for 5 minutes and then come upstairs and watch television and then the next commercial, I would go down for another few minutes and bring another bag up the stairs. I never got winded or tired or frustrated or discouraged. I only needed the energy for a few minutes at a time and I only needed the strength to carry one bag.
Steps....that's how I operate my life. No stress, but, you accomplish a lot.
I am an organizer and I'm very excited about your sharing how you did the clothes on the hangers and reverse them as you went. It's very visual and it's result-oriented to see exactly what we wear and what we don't wear. I'm going to share that a lot with a lot of people. Thank you very much
Vegan homemade gingerbread coffee creamer! Sounds delicious! Yes, recipe, please!
She made a separate video on it. Check her videos.
Sounds yummy! Recipe please! 😊
Agreed! Yes please!
So helpful. Thank you for sharing your process
Omg you spoke as if I myself was talking of ME! I have to start my 31 day challenge this month ...wish me luck!!! And thanks for encouraging me
This was a really good video for those contemplating tiny house living or who need inspiration for downsizing. One of my favourite pieces of inspiration was a book called "goodbye, things" by a young Japanese man named Fumio Sasaki. After I finished reading it (at 3am) I went through my closet intending only to "get rid of one thing right now" and one hour later I had 100 empty clothes hangers and 2 large piles of clothes to give away! I had been suffering from burnout for 2 years up until that moment, and that book and that action turned my life around!
Thanks for the picture of your sweet sleeping kitty. Can't believe it's snowing there when we've been having 20°C weather here in Eastern Ontario! I guess it'll get here soon enough. Thanks Adelina!🇨🇦
Hi Janina ☺️. I’ll have to check that book out, thanks for sharing, it sounds amazing. No one naps like a cat, LOL. Stay safe 🙏🏼.
I found it at my local library! It will inspire you!👍
I second that recommendation!
Janina, my local library has a copy, and I've put a hold on it. Thank you for the tip!! Looking forward to a great read 😀
Enjoy, Monique! It is quite amazing!
I went from a 2000 sq ft house to a 22 foot motorhome and a full-time RVer lifestyle. I started reading The Minimalists in 2010 and by 2012 I had sold the house and was on the road. One thing I did in those 2 years was move from my master bedroom to the guest BR. I only brought over stuff I as needed it. Was about 6 months or so. I then was able to feel confident I could easily get rid of the stuff still in the master BR closet and drawers.
Been on the road for 8+ years, and I still have to go through drawers and cabinets to see what I haven't used and get rid of it.
Hi Jeanne! I like that strategy ☺️.
Oh can I ever relate to the Christmas dishes, the "good" dishes, the party glassware, etc. I haven't entertained for years because my home is so cluttered, so thank you for the common sense I needed to hear to get my a++ in gear.
😂😂😂🙏🏼
I decided to use all the 'good' things everyday. I don't have separate everyday dishes or anything I keep just for best.
Yes! Why have things just for a special occasion? You ARE a special occasion! ☺️🙏🏼.
That is so true. I can't entertain because all of the stuff I NEED to entertain takes up too much room. That is perfect. 😀
You can do it !!
Someone suggested this to me; when you are sentimentally attached to something but don’t need or want it, take a picture of it. When you look at the picture, you will still connect to the memories. Great for broken or stained items!!!
That's a great idea Lynda!☺️
I take pictures of items in stores that have cute slogans or quotes. Keeps me from further cluttering my house with more stuff I find cute.
I wanted to say how much I appreciate you making this video. A lot of downsizing/decluttering videos are meant to be trendy with obvious/unhelpful tips from people who didn't actually have a lot of things to begin with. Your video was exactly what I was looking for as a person who's had a long-term place transitioning toward wanting to move to a smaller space. Some of the tips you mentioned were new to me and reasonable. Thank you again!
You are so welcome! Good luck! 😊
I inherited my grandmother's house and when she was almost near the end of her life, we needed to do some renovations for the bathroom and hallway so while she was in rehab, I started cleaning out the closets that belonged to my grandmother, and my great grandmother and great uncle and other relatives and I filled a double dumpster with things from their deep closets. Not walk-in mind you. The closets were only as wide as a door with a small bar across but they were amazing at keeping the clutter inside of the closets. Not me. When I have stuff, it spills out of the closets into the room. I have been watching minimalism pages and have started doing one bag a day. I guess that is a variation of the challenge. Well, my basement flooded and I spent a week cleaning up and today, my friend from work showed up and tossed the stuff from half the basement and I was amazed at how many things my grandmother and great grandmother and uncle still had down there. I had only asked for help carrying a few things up but my friend filled up a whole dumpster's worth and if there was room in the dumpster, I would be getting rid of more because there is nothing better than mold and mildew for getting someone to let go of all of the belongings possible.
We have had to move a number of times over the years, and I found that each time we had to move, was a great opportunity to get rid of stuff. But I wanted to tell you that you are a great influencer. I will keep in mind that process of "one thing in one day, two things in two days" etc. Just thinking about one room at a time, I can picture myself easily getting rid of LOTS of things. It is so rewarding.
Thanks! It’s actually a really fun game. ☺️
good luck!!
An easy way to do that would be on the day of the month declutter that many items!
I’m not a minimalist. I just started my decluttering journey. I’ve noticed that starting is really hard and I tend to keep most of the stuff I’m reviewing. So I pick one category, I select things to sell and donate and put them in a box. I wait a couple days, and I select thing again, from that same category. I do this 3-4 times. Every time gets easier to let go of things.
With the “selling” pile, I post everything in Facebook marketplace. If it doesn’t sell in 2 weeks, I donate it.
Love that Dany! ☺️
If you get rid of 1 item on day 1, 2 items on day 2..... by day 30, you will have gotten rid of 528 items! That is quite a challenge but your overall suggestions are great for minimizing!
I didn’t explain it very well so I put a not in the video description notes: On day 1 you get rid of 1thing, day 2 get rid of 2 things (over and above the 1 thing from day 1), day 3 get rid of 3 things (over and above the 1 item from day one AND the 2 items from day 2), and so on. You'll get rid of 496 items in a 31 day month.
I was thinking that too! But think she meant get rid of one item a day for a month. 😉
Okay, just saw she clarified.
Worst part is not bringing new stuff HOME.
Liked & subscribed! You motivated me to pause this video, get up, and put three more items of clothing on my donate pile. I moved into what will probably be my final home ten months ago. I have already purged quite a bit, but have more left to do. The reason for doing this is so that my kids are not stuck with the job whenever I depart to the great beyond, and because I value space and hate clutter. My advice is to keep the job small. I try to get rid of a few items at a time, at least once a week. Just a regular chore, like cleaning the bathroom. 🌸
Hi Merry. Yes, I totally agree ☺️🙏🏼.
I enjoyed this video!
We are on a slightly different trajectory, and your tips will come in handy!
We downsized from 1800 sq. ft. with three outbuildings, to 640 sq. ft. five years ago. We had two weeks notice to move (closing date on sudden sale of our cottage where we were living). We moved with all our belongings into the smaller home which was already furnished, and we were also renovating the smaller house (and we are still renovating the small house). There is one small linen closet, and the kitchen cupboards, no other storage on the main floor. The basement is unfinished, not full height, and was moldy and leaky when we moved in. The garage roof leaked. These storage areas have since been dried in and are drying out.
At first we had tunnels between the boxes from the kitchen, bathroom, and the bed.
Our most pressing round of downsizing was to tighten up our food supply, such as reducing the two bottles of mustard, two salt shakers, etc. to just one of each. That took a year, no food was thrown out.
Our good furniture went to our kids in the first few months.
We also donated one whole truckload of furniture, kitchen ware, and good clothing to the women's shelter, and another truckload of the same to the homeless men's shelter.
We outfitted a travel trailer, completely.
We still have too much stuff, but over time we are finding we are using it up.
Our biggest remaining issue with downsizing is our "big house" furniture, which is crammed into a small house. There isn't much room left for the humans.
When the structural renovations are completed, we hope to focus on interior storage and appropriately sized furniture, but this is yet to come, as we have other priorities, such as a new roof, siding, and a porch repair, to address first.
In the meantime, we grow and preserve much of our own food, cook everything from scratch, recycle everything from composting, sewing old clothes into new items, and washing plastic bags for reuse, and all of this activity takes space. But all of this activity also uses up our existing stuff. Very little goes out to the recycling bin, and we generate only one bag of garbage a month. So we are balancing downsizing with partial self-sufficiency.
And we are having a blast.
Wow! That’s amazing!😊
Wonderful post! Thank you.
Margarettt: I agree with the way you used everything up over time. (I HATE waste!) My husband and I took care of my parents for 24 years. My mom went first then after my Dad died, we sold a 2500 square foot duplex that was fully equipped on each side. I sold the extra furniture,linens,etc, but kept all of the food,zip lock bags,etc.,toiletries and cleaning supplies from both apartments. We have been in our 900+ square foot house for six years and I have yet to buy any of those items except food. The Minimal Mom’s concept of inventory makes so much sense,but since I had the storage space,it just didn’t make sense to me to NOT use it up.🤷🏼♀️
I don’t plan on going tiny and I have plenty of space to “hide” things but I still feel trapped with stuff and clutter. I have been on a mission to declutter (Swedish death clean) for a year or more and have made good progress but these tips, a little from here and little from there, are so useful and are delivered in a great fashion. I have an empty in-law apartment downstairs from me where my mom lived, and that is where a lot of my excess ended up. This has given me the incentive to keep going and finally get rid of the stuff that I had a hard time letting go of. I don’t miss the stuff downstairs unless I have to deal with it, which happens regularly, so you have made me realize that if it goes somewhere else, anywhere else, I won’t have to keep dwelling on it. It’s true, anything I have donated or put to the curb (I have a great curb location for that) I no longer think about. Onward and upward then! Thank you.
My first viewing of your videos, I subscribed. I love your couch area and windows and will go and look at the rest of your house. I am enamored with tiny houses.
Thanks Casey 😊. Good luck and stay safe 🙏🏼.
I was always confused by the types of processes that took all of the clutter from the closets and put it in the room. I always failed miserably that way. I am loading one trash bag per day and getting it out of the house right now and that works for me. When I tried to do it with everything out I would just end up with a seriously messy house for a month. It just caused me to collapse. When, instead, I look through the closet and take a few things out every day, it feels much more fun.
@@wishingb5859 I can’t do it that way either. Way too overwhelming and I don’t really have all that much clothing. My curse is paperwork. I hate sorting that.
Your system works great too. I think we all need to do what works for us personally so we don’t get overwhelmed 🙏🏼😊.
@@caseyglenar7268 My Coworker has changed my paperwork. He kept drilling it in my head, "Touch it once" and now I have a PO Box and I open the mail at the Post Office and put the envelopes and junk mail in recycling at the post office and I don't take the sales magazines out of their doors. (I could see the same magazines online) Opening the mail at the Post Office has been so good for me. I don't miss bills or tax things and I never have a pile. Once I get home, it is pay the bill and file it. If there is a letter or card from a friend, it is answer it that day. I have a magnetic document pocket attached to my fridge for things that need research but that only happens a few times per year.
I went through my place & donated 3/4 of my stuff. I feel so much lighter & happier. Next up is sentimental items. I started this process as I was tired of dusting & moving things around. Things I wasn't using & didn't enjoy anymore. I also started this process as I'm planning on moving from California to Michigan next summer. I'm planning on taking only what will fit in my car. 🤞
Good for you! ☺️
So happy that I’ve just found your channel. I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to empty my late sister in laws house. She was a terrible hoarder and saved/collected everything. It’s taking forever to undo years and years of hoarding. I’m now determined to de-clutter my own belongings so my kids don’t have to do it, so finding your channel is very timely! I followed Marie Condo and use her folding techniques too.
Glad I found your video! What worked for me was coming to the conclusion that I had more income going out than i had income coming in. Ultra stressful. Until I accepted this to be true - I was unable to understand why I struggled so much financially. I wanted the champagne lifestyle on a beer budget so to speak. It was pure madness - I could never achieve it. So after that realization I had chosen to turn inwards. I started watching video's from from other countries such as Varanasi India Beyond, Brittany Taylors early minimalism video's, Timber Hawkeye, Sailing Zatara (they are not minimalists at all but I just LOVE this family!), and so much more. I basically googled "minimalism" and just searched and searched and searched for good quality minimalism video's such as tiny houses and van life. I became very attracted to simple living and what that gave to me. It gave me freedom. Freedom to finally breathe at last - while living with very few things. It gave me relief from financial burdens. I shopped less. Paid my bills. Purchased smarter at the grocery store. I got rid of 90% of my possessions! I wanted to live with the freedom of not owning anything I could not carry or lift myself. I don't miss a thing! I have just what I need. Currently I follow: Heal Your Living and The Minimal Mom on TH-cam. Both are about beautiful people living a solid minimalist lifestyle. They are such a pleasure to watch and very inspiring! I am planning on purchasing a 60L backpack in the future and seeing if I can live out of it! Minimalism has helped me in many areas of my life including a lot of inner reflection, having a solid foundation in daily gratitude, having values and living by them! I love minimalism so much and even though it's been over 5 years practicing I am still minimizing believe it or not!!!! Anyway - however any of you out there live as a minimalist - I wish you all a beautiful day - within and without. Peace Everyone.
Thanks for sharing Casey 🙏🏼☺️
You actually could start any day! Like TODAY as day 1.
I am sentimental and know who gave me almost everything I have. So, when my parents died within a few months of each other it was hard to part with their things. I read someplace to only keep something if 1) you have an actual need for it, 2) there’s a history or story behind it, or 3) you love it. I still love too many things, but I did get rid of much more than I might have without this advice.
I’m somewhat sentimental too, because items hold Energy from people. At least for some amount of time. 🌀
What's the strangest thing in your pile?
I just sold an identical Walkman to a guy like in Pretty Woman. Puzzles, lots of subjects on tons of things.
A half dozen things with flamingos on them. Lots of Kleenex boxes (sinus).
12 billion plastic containers that never make it "away."
I just put like stuff together and move on
Just stumbled on your Tiny House! Really enjoyed it. It was like having a conversation with a friend with good solid advice. Thanks.
Thanks Elizabeth ☺️
Yes! I've been on a mission for some time decluttering and leaning toward minimalism to help alleviate sensory issues and anxiety.
Also looking for videos to send to my mother who needs inspiration.
I’m in the process of downsizing to prepare for when my 4 th son graduates next summer. I will be selling my 3 bdm home and it will be a major undertaking after 30 plus years raising kids. My biggest challenge is photos! I’m researching tiny homes and appreciate your info and tips. You are doing exactly what I’m hoping to do! except living in a cold climate, i’ve been in Wisconsin for 30 yrs and never want to shovel or drive in snow again!!
What did you end up doing with the photos? I am facing this challenge right now. I hate to just throw them away but in this era of digital pictures....
I have my photo albums in a tote in the shed under the gooseneck.
Two years ago I needed to get new glasses, so I bought stemless wine glasses. They look like an elegant water glass and have more than one use. Right now I'm in the process of decluttering and reorganising everything. It's always inspiring hearing from others who have been through it.
So excited to know you live in a tiny house in Calgary. I live in Medicine Hat. I’ve only just begun my minimalist journey and believe that minimalism is unique to each person. What is minimalist for one may not be for another. But as long as I’m working on reducing my things I am more minimalist than I was before. I don’t feel the need to compare myself to others but I do enjoy learning from the experiences and experiments of others. Thank you for your vlog. I wish you success.
Thanks Tanya ☺️.
For some people I don't think minimalist is a good term I think simplifying is a good term have a more Simple Life but not stark and bare
Hello…this is so helpful to me and I’m just halfway thru the video! I wanted to tell you it really is helpful as I have been working on downsizing for over a year. I have been donating lots of things but have so much more to do. My husband of 47 years passed and I decided after about 3 years that I needed a smaller home. Living in this 2 story house 43 years has accumulated much. Thank you for sharing helpful information! Best wishes!
I'm so sorry for your loss 🥺. It's a process so take your time ❤️.
Thank you for your viewpoint. I’ve been on this minimializing path for the last year now for our own things. Nice to hear from someone that doesn’t want to sell me thing to organize my stuff. LOL. I actually do like that idea of taking everything out and then only putting back what you need. I think that would be a great way to tackle my kitchen and pantry. Good thing to do while isolating and limiting our exposure while we deal with Covid. Sending well wishes from Vancouver, stay safe.....😃
Thanks for sharing Karen ☺️🙏🏼. You as well.
Adelina I love your channel and could watch you all day! You're like listening to a good friend. It makes me wish I could sit and have coffee with you! I did my second downsize about 5 years ago, and at that time I had to put most of my things in storage for 3 months. I remember so clearly having the closest thing to a panic attack I've experienced because my storage space was too small and everything would not fit, so I rented a second space. Over the 3 months, I couldn't even remember most of what I had in there and by time I moved in to my condo had donated or sold most of it. I felt a HUGE weight had been lifted and will never forget how good it felt. I haven't missed one thing! It was such a good life lesson!
Also, being vegan, I would LOVE your creamer recipe! You are so inspiring! Looking forward to your next video! 😊
Hi Lonnie. Yes, that’s how I felt when I finally let go of those ‘maybe’ items. The creamer recipe is on the way 🙏🏼☺️.
@@myBIGtinyhouselife
Thanks for replying. You made my day! 😊 Looking forward to trying the creamer. Enjoy your week in the snow!
Stay safe ☺️
I love art and have a huge piece of art that hangs on the wall in my office (which was supposed to be a small dining room). The piece is 4' x 4'. I've waited 50 years to own an art piece like this and I won't be giving it up. So, although my house is considered small, I do have art on the walls and therefore need lots of wall space. I really hate clutter, however, and love hearing about minimalist practices. I like my house to have lots of open space. It creates a space of calm.
I'm in my year or so window of moving to somewhere smaller. I won't be in a tiny home but something around 800 square feet, from almost 1800 now. I have emptied out loft already and half of my office. My goal is to only have my desk, a lamp, chair and my desktop in my office, along with a few pictures on the wall. Both closets are empty, save for my 2 fancy dresses. I've been a minimalist for 30 years and it ebbs and flows, with your lifestyle. Sometimes I had more or less, big or small spaces. My requirement, right now, for anything I am keeping, is it used to be on a scale from 1 to 10, things had to be a 5 or above to be considered a keep. Now, it's an 9 or10 and that's it and boy! I am loving it! And I am loving my spaces! I then put like with like and saw where I had too much extra. I then organized by the categories that mattered to me: Health, work, animals, hobbies, comfort. Many things overlapped but I have what fits my lifestyle. I've been following The Minimalists for years and they are fun! Thanks for the video!
Thanks for sharing your journey Heather 🙏🏼☺️
I am not a minimalist, and I don't intend to move. But I keep trying. One of these days I might even finish.
Girl you just said Alberta! I was born in YYC and raised in YEG. My apartment is only 635 sq feet and it's so cluttered! Your 10 mins of advice has already got me started. Subscribed 🙌
That’s awesome ☺️.
@19:39 'Decide what's MOST IMPORTANT..." ❤ When our WHY/WHAT is clear we figure out the HOW. Amen. I'm listening as I am moving into a studio/refitted room with my belongings piled up, while deciding where things go, how to organize the space AND WHY it is worth it 🙌🏻
Good luck! 😊
Simple is awesome! Just put all the stuff you do not need......on the side of the road, it will be gone within 24 hours!!!!!!
If living on a low traffic street, just post a note under craigslist's "free" section saying it's at the curb, first to grab it, it's yours. "Free" is in their "for sale" section.
I literally just did that this morning... everything was gone by 3 p.m....yay!
I found that one big motivation for me to downsize was the fact that I went from a 2 bedroom average apartment to a really small room at my mom's. My stuff was in storage for over 2 years, and when I finally got my own place again, it was really easy to donate a lot of the stuff, because not having room for it, and it being boxed up in storage for 2 years.
This is such a great guide for those wanting to reduce their footprint in general. ❤️
Books - tough for me. So I pulled out all the books I had from 20 years ago (keep reference books) gave them to friends or donated them. Then I went through books from 15 years ago, then 10 years ago. Our interests change through the years - so I was able to justify letting them go. Note I kept my favorite Herbal books, Spiritual books, Essential oil books, a few favorite cook books - recipes now online.
I donated a lot of my books to my local library. That way, I still have access to them but don’t have to keep them in my house.
This is very good advice! Very relatable for me how you went from accumulation to deliberately downsizing. I've been a minimalist for most of my life (though to be fair I've noticed the criteria for minimalism has shifted somewhat, so I'm no longer considered minimalist), but if you have to downsize all at once, my best tip is to think of the things that you like to obsess over and let yourself have as much of that as you can /neatly contain/ in your space. That could mean a lot of different things - when I moved in with my partner I downsized an entire craft room into one 6' tall, 4' wide bookshelf by focusing on my obsession with paper crafting. I got rid of everything else, most of which I discovered I didn't use more than once or twice a year. Also recognize if you are a novelty junkie, like I am. I love having new pens, but I get disgusted after a while because I have WAY TOO MANY, so I constantly have to fight the urge to buy new stationery. It's maddening, but worth it because I feel so much calmer in a clean, organized space.
Thanks for sharing Lydia. ☺️
I enjoyed rehoming nice things I no longer needed, as well as recycling, donating and repurposing.
I’m so happy that you popped up on here I’ve been wanting to find some kind of help to declutter for quite some time now thank you so much for sharing this with us . I’m starting by just going through a few drawers & my clothes . I feel that if I haven’t worn something & still hanging in the closet I don’t need or want it anymore . I’ve got a lot of memories from my parents since they passed away but , I’m letting most everything go . Again , thank you for sharing this sweetie I love it !!!
Thanks for the video! I’m probably not going to be moving into a “tiny house” but most likely will be having to downsize majorly (for me) in a few months. You gave me some helpful information to feel like there are things I can go ahead and start doing to feel like I will be able to make that transition more smoothly for myself. My biggest problems with downsizing in general are 1) I am EXTREMELY sentimental, and 2) my “maybe” pile or “not sure” basket ends up way too big. Like WAY bigger than the “get rid of” pile. But hey, I guess every little bit counts. The $20, 20 minutes thing was helpful, too, as well as being reminded “what do you want more? What is more important or priority to you?” Thanks a bunch.
Love this video & your calm soothing voice! Thank you! I love blessing people with items and books that I think that they would enjoy. So far I am batting 💯 percent. It becomes a joy rather than a burden to let go of those things knowing that they will continue to have a “good home.”God bless!!
You are so welcome! Stay safe 🙏🏽
I took your advice, I watched Minimalism on Netflix, two thumbs up. I went through that "extras" box of Christmas decor and saw that I had a number of commercial stuff that I didn't actually want and certainly didn't love. I put a post on my local Facebook group and gave away most of the commercial stuff, some items haven't gone yet but they may still go later. It felt so good to get my amount of stuff down and make someone else's day having Christmas Cheer. I already had done clothes before I saw your video, so next stop is Kitchen gadgets. I know for certain I have multiple sets of knives (presents past). I tried telling my family no presents, but they are stubborn! Thank you, I hope you keep producing. You really helped me!
That’s awesome!!🥰
My 3rd (and youngest child) just moved out this week. Feeling the empty nest in a BIG way! Projects like the 31 day challenge will help keep my mind off having an empty nest which I am struggling with at the moment and also accomplishing a big goal at the same time. Looking forward to doing some home improvement tasks as well and maybe one day I can transition to a tiny home - it is a dream! Thanks for the motivation.
It’s bittersweet when your kids head out on their own. Good luck ❤️🙏🏼.
Just found you a week ago I love your tiny home ..I live in Texas on some land yes im a rancher ive been in my land for 20 years and just now building my new home I lived in a trailer home anyways I raise my kids and now I am getting my dream home a one bed room home with one small craft room a tiny home with small kitchen liveing room and a bathroom..Yes I have to down size my entire home because the way I live now I wont fit lol..I choose a small home because we wont be young forever and I didnt want a big house to clean up made no sense all the kids have moved away now..So I want my happy home a small tiny home..
I love watching your channel cause you give so many great ideas..
Thank you for shareing and from us in the 🇺🇸 you inspired a whole lot of folks..
Be bless and be safe..
Thanks Carmen. Your new house sounds lovely ☺️
Your tiny house life has really reassured me on the 'feasibility' of that project. Minimalist in spirit :-)
Thanks Alisson ☺️.
I will be moving out of state and into a room half the size of my apartment bedroom which is already very small. The process if condensing my life has been overwhelming. You gave a lot of tools for my tool box and have helped me so much!
I'm glad ☺️
Great ideas. I just pulled all of my clothes out and picked out the things I hadn't worn in a year. I did this several times. Each time changing the reason for not needed something. It felt so good. I need to go through one more time and I think i will have my clothes done. I love the hanger idea. Thank you again!💕🐈
I have begun to realize that I have too much stuff...stuff that's been in my attic or in hutches and not used for years and years. If it's out of sight, it's out of mind and I don't use it. I have also worked, caring for the elderly in the senior housing living complexes and the amount of storage they have is really small...a couple of closets and not a lot of cupboards, and perhaps a storage unit in the basement. This made me realize I have got to get rid of a TON of stuff, and I don't want it to be painful or done at the last minute when good decisions may not be made. I like your ideas and setting a challenge for myself (as I eye my hutch that I just dragged the good dishes out of for Thanksgiving dinner). Over the years I've realized I am an emotional keeper (so and so gave this to me!), but I need to overcome that and keep only the truly meaningful things and not the somewhat okay sweater that has a cardinal on it. I'm glad I peeked in on your channel today!
Hello Karen. I know exactly how you feel. It was a process for me over several years so it wouldn’t be overwhelming. I didn’t want my kids to have to deal with it when I’m gone. Good luck ❤️🙏🏼☺️.
Thank you for this video and all these tips! Im actually moving in with my partner in a few months, with my 2 kids and his, 3. So, we are not downsizing at all! Itll be 7 people under one roof. So, having tips like this can be a lifesaver/space saver in a larger home as well😊
Yes- Collect moments, not things ( but I still stay with my books...) :)
I've told you this before: I wish you were my mom.❤ I really feel that I could learn a lot from you. I believe we could have fun conversations over pancakes and coffee (I drink only black coffee, by the way.😉) I heart you. ❤💋
Thanks Jenny. I spent hours and hours with my mom in the kitchen having coffee, eating freshly baked bread and talking. I miss her so much but when I bake it reminds me of her. My youngest (21) also drinks coffee black ☺️❤️.
I have wanted to comment on your gorgeous fiestaware collection for a long time. I live about 30 minutes north of the fiesta ware store in Newell, wv and have found my collection makes me smile. Like you, I chose several colors (and several styles) and so enjoy using them. Talking myself into a trip to see what’s new. It just has to fit into the allocated space. That’s a game I play. Determine how much room you are willing to give - fill in the blank- and you either stop or trade out items so it all fits in the space.
I love your philosophy 😊
Great tips! This video showed up in my feed at a great time since we just downsized from a five bedroom house with an attic and garage to one of two bedrooms with no attic or garage. Though we spent the last two years clearing out, we still brought way too much stuff. We did rent off site storage, and your tips will help when we start clearing that out. For me, one of the biggest issues was also the kitchen, but my craft stuff runs a close second. Many thanks!
Ahh, craft stuff! I still hope to convert the attic to a craft room, but alas there is too much other stuff up there now. My goal is to minamalize, repair this old house, and make it worth a fortune fir the next home owner.
Very good presentation, thank you! I've been good at paring down over and over again because I've moved 22 times in the last 43 years. (I actually enjoy changing where I live.) It's a real incentive to pare down when you know you're going to be paying to move all this stuff. I, like you, have saved about 6 big plastic bins of clothes, stuffed animals, and school projects from when my two daughters were in grade school. But I'll always keep those whether or not I "need" them. A lot of the things I keep are because of sentimental reasons. They just are comforting physical reminders of different phases of my life! I've also found that it's a cycle that I collect things, then when it's time to move, I pare down by selling things at a garage sale or on Craigslist, then after I move, I start the process over again, but on a smaller and wiser scale.
Hi Theresa, I like your system. We all need those sentimental things, like you said. Take care 😊.
Would LOVE the recipe! I am so glad to find your channel. So many times I feel the tiny home videos are from people who aren’t into cooking, or varying their wardrobes, etc. Thank you for all you share.
I just filmed it and will upload tomorrow. Stay safe 🙏🏼☺️
The hubby and I are downsizing right now as we prepare to sell our house and RV full time! Yikes! I was surprised how little I cared about most of our furniture but the area I struggled with is my craft room! Especially my cardstock and 12x12 paper pads. But I finally realized I could buy these things at anytime at a craft store and I sold some and donated some. Not done yet but moving along at a gallop! Thanks for the info!
That sounds exciting Jackie! Good luck and stay safe ☺️🙏🏼.
Thank you for this video. It is everything that I needed to hear today. I've been agonizing over downsizing. How to do it, how to get started etc. I've been an emotional and physical wreck thinking about this. But your calm approach has helped me to confirm this is what I want to do and not to be afraid of missing my things for needing something after the fact. The $20 / 20 minute tip Will be employed :-)
I’m glad it helped ❤️😊.
I had to "flip the switch" in my attitude about my stuff before I could get rid of it. I'm still going through it, and it's been over a year. What a mental process, finding the strength, and the right attitudes, to eliminate possessions!
It can very difficult. It's a one step at a time thing for sure ☺️❤️
I also like the thought in addition to the 20mins for $20 or less, that you are just paying whatever store to hold the item for you till you need it, rather than you holding onto things ‘just in case’. Id much rather pay more a bit later on to hire or repurchase something i may need, than store everything here just in case.
Yes! I love that philosophy 🙏🏼❤️.
I enjoyed you video. I'm just south of you in Kalispell MT. Currently in a 14x60 mobile home. Have just felt a urgent need to get rid of stuff. I'm not having to much trouble letting go. Stuff has set here in my place for 11 years and 80%, or close to that amount, of everything I have, I haven't used. So out it's going. Clothing, dishes, furniture, if not needed why have it? Guess in a way I'm burning bridges at the same time. I'm super excited at the prospects. I won't be buying a tiny house, but coukd end up in a class C camper or maybe try van life at some point. But purging STUFF has to come first. Thanks for your tips. Oh, and yes, I'm keeping my cat!
Good for you! Love the idea of an RV or van. Definitely need to make room for the kitty too ☺️🙏🏼.
I started to be realistic about the excess items we had in our small home a few years ago. For anyone who has experienced the cleaning out of a home after the death of a family member or perhaps their transition from a home to small senior living, care facility, etc., it can REALLY open your eyes to how much time, management, and space things take up in our homes and lives. I heard somewhere that an average US home has approx 330000 items! I was inspired by watching decluttering on TJ WAYS as she moved through her Marie K. process and a little more extreme, but valuable, ABUNDANTLY MINIMAL. I did the month challenge to really get started at the beginning of each season, but kept going from there each time. It also really helped me to have an OUT plan for everything, too. Bags, boxes and tubs set up for giving to friends, thrift shops, charity collections, consignment, recycling, shredding and garbage. If I did not do this in a quick turn around it easily became just another area of clutter for later, another form of mess for yourself. Love these videos and the supportive comments from viewers!
Hi Marianne. Yes, it’s shocking how much can accumulate over a lifetime. I’m hoping that my kids won’t have too big of a job when the time comes. Yes! There is a lovely community of people in here 🙏🏼❤️.
Ahhhhhh, your voice is so relaxing, and I can concentrate and learn from you!!!! Thank you.
Very helpful. Husband and I are starting on this journey of going through the process of downsizing from a huge house. I don't think we'll ever be minimalist but we'll be less taxed by things. It's been overwhelming. Your tips are great.
Thanks Ari ☺️
Just came across your video and so happy to find a fellow Canadian living in a tiny house, I’m currently in a condo,but eventually want to get out and move into a tiny house. I’ve also been practicing a more minimalist lifestyle for three years and still working on reducing my possessions
I love your tiny house and all your innovations!! Your commitment to do it your way because you want it to be YOUR happy place is very heartwarming. It definitely motivated me to start cleaning out my un- needed stuff. Then I did it again and again..what FREEDOM!!! I love spending time with you and your chats!! I'm a cat person too..your ideas for her are amazing! Thank you for being a giving person in your attitude towards all of us out here!! Peace!!
Thanks Reenie 🙏🏼🐈😊
"You wanna buy me wine? No problem!"
Love it!
Great video. I’ve got lots of stuff that I should probably sort out and get rid of but for the last six months I’ve decided not to buy anything other than food, and appreciate what I already have. I’m not downsizing, but you’ve motivated me to sort out clothes etc and items I haven’t used for a long time and bag them up.
Thanks Jill. Stay safe ☺️.
I'm doing the same - not buying anything unless it's absolutely necessary. One needs to buy food of course, and occasionally replace worn out clothes, but other than that make the most of what you have, and reduce the unused stuff day by day.
Thanks so much for this presentation. Your way of describing the process is so down-to-earth and stress-free. Really loved it.
I am so very grateful for this video. I am thinking about moving to a tiny house and I am petrified with the thought of having to let go of stuff I really love and have a history with only to move to a pre designed space. Now I am willing to let go AND trusting I can keep, what my heart still needs :-)
I’m glad it helps 🙏🏼☺️
This was great, thanks! Not moving to a tiny house (unfortunately), but after downsizing a lot already, I now have to downsize again to move to a tiny flat. Was feeling a bit overwhelmed, but this has really re-inspired me. Thank you! (Love that you're vegan too :) )
Thanks 🙏🏼
Thank you so much. The lease to my apartment is up at the end of this year and I plan on moving into a class b motorhome. I realize to most that would seem like plenty of time to get rid of the majority of my things but I'm the type of person that has a hard time letting things go. Your ideas will certain help me achieve my goals. Thanks again!
Good luck!