I just never seem to get around to throwing things out, so I should do something before it gets bad.
But I had an epiphany:
I spent some extended time in SF on a very tiny budget, so did it with few possessions. I hate waiting for baggage in the airport, so I packed light and just took a small (school-size) backpack. Mostly books and art supplies, actually.
Bought a few things as I needed them (funky t-shirts, a warmer jacket), and realized that if I really need something, I can usually buy it cheap or used (I was staying in the Tenderloin, near a couple of great thrift shops).
So here’s my idea: why don’t I pretend that I’m “traveling light” like that, and pack up a few precious things (in my case, mostly out-of-print old books). And then, while I take off for a long weekend, get someone to come in and toss/donate the rest of my stuff.
I’m betting for every one item I’d miss, there’d be ten I’d never notice were gone.
Possibly not quite the same thing, but my husband and I have recently done similar: not got rid of everything, but got rid of heaps of extraneous stuff.
We moved from the house we built on 27 acres ( house 200 sq metres) with about the same square meterage of shedding, to a 2 acre block, with dwelling 72 sq metres, and shedding about 30 sq metres.
We have missed only a small number of things - along the line of “didn’t we used to have an X?” and the only thing we found we should not have got rid of was a set of harrows.
We have found it intensely liberating. We also paid off our mortgage, so we are living debt free - another liberating thing!
I’m having second thoughts about owning a house in the area I’m in. If I can’t say goodbye in two years or so, I considered dumping everything I own and renting again. If I got rid of my electronic equipment, films and books, pared down my clothing to sensible stuff and passed on a lot of the kitchen stuff my parents gave me, I’d be sorted.
Actually planning on doing that this weekend. I’m going to be 30 on Monday, and I don’t know, I’m just tired of all my crap. I’m tired of the constant need to buy more stuff. My goal is to reduce my material possessions by 50%.