Have I ever told you that I’ve moved fourteen times? No, I’m not a military brat. My parents are just of the build a house, sell for profit, build bigger school of home ownership, so I moved around my home town several times growing up. Then several times in college. Several times since we’ve been married. Every time we’ve moved, I’ve gotten rid of crap. When we moved into our current house after two years of living with my in laws to save for a down payment during grad school, we got rid of two CAR SIZED PILES of junk. Then there was a bunch that was kept because everything we owned had been in storage for years, and we weren’t sure what we’d use or not.
Every year I get rid of some stuff, but I confess that I have not done a really good, top to bottom, BE BRUTAL and RELENTLESS clean out since we moved in.
Well by God, I’m doing it now. It started with my desk. Since I’m selling it, I needed to clean it out. I got rid of 3 boxes of floppy disks that had my old work on them. I haven’t had a computer that could read them in at least seven years and I’d forgotten the passwords for almost all of the files anyway. Tossed a crap ton of notebooks with old ideas scribbled in them from years and years ago. This week I hauled 4 years’ worth of bills and 15 years’ worth of bank statements to work and shredded them in our industrial shredder. I threw away dead pens, weird nicknacks, broken things, and a zillion other things. I put FOUR BIG BAGS of garbage at the street for trash day on Thursday. I’ve got a big box of books and VHS tapes going to the library to be donated. I had already cleaned out clothes and donated those earlier in the spring, but there still remains under the beds. And I’m going to tackle all those toiletries, expired meds, and cleaning supplies in the bathroom that haven’t been used in who knows how long. Doesn’t matter if that bottle of body spray is still mostly full. I’m not using it (and it’s probably turned to something noxious by now anyway)…it’s GOING. All the stupid nicknacky crap I didn’t much like anyway…DONATED.
It’s like I’ve got about three years’ worth of spring cleaning urges built up and they’re finally spewing forth.
If we’re staying in this house (and even if we’re not), then by God, I’m making some more ROOM where room can be MADE. I’m not going to continue to clutter up my life and warehouse stuff that I don’t want, need, or use. There’s a shocking amount of it.
This kind of cleaning is often hard to do. We are socialized that things shouldn’t be wasted or we might use it. Well, if we haven’t touched it or remembered it in the five years we’ve been in this house, then obviously we won’t use it. A few of the things can be sold, and if they’re worth more than $20, then I’ll take the trouble. Otherwise, I’d rather donate it for a tax deduction just to GET IT OUT OF THE HOUSE. Either that or FREECYCLE that mofo! The desk may wind up going that way if there are no bites at $50, just to get it out of the way. The home gym…well no, that thing was $400 new, and it’s in like new but dusty condition, so not giving it away, but still.
Hubby’s starting to give me that worried look that means I’m edging into scary, neurotic territory again, but at least it means we’re simplifying our lives, right?
6 thoughts on “Woman On A Mission”
My heart is with you. We moved after 9 1/2 years of accumulating half-filled bottles of things we might use, along with all kinds of hand-me-downs and wretched things that we kept around because they once belonged to people we love. When we moved, though, the new rule was, “If I don’t love it or use it, it’s out of here!” Good luck with the uncluttering. It feels so good to get rid of all that crap, doesn’t it?
I feel for you. I know just what you mean. When we left the UK for Holland we had one small car filled with stuff, for th two of us. We moved in with my inlaws for 2 years, and when we moved again we filled the flat and shed with crap. Ok we had our first son then and that generated extra and quite large items like toys but a great amount were things we had bought for ourselves. The diminutive size of our flat drives me crazy, but the one good thing about having very little space is that you have to be brutal with your things. We are regularly clearing everything up and throwing away all the junk. Even then we are surprised at how much has amassed each time.
I can’t wait to be able to move. It’s not that I don’t like where I am but I just want a house with a garden for the kids. Not sure if I could move more than once or twice though. Mainly because after throwing away the crap, seeing my possessions and how few boxers they fill just isn’t fun.
Good luck with the move and I hope this is the house for you.
YOU GO GIRL!! I completely feel for you. Last year for my birthday my son gave me a what can I do for you and I told him get all of this junk out! I found I would actually almost have an anxiety attack when I tried to do it myself so he just went to it and started filling bags and off it went. Now that completed the “office” and as I am self employed my office was the worst place. Frankly there are times now when I cannot find something he sent to the never-land; however, it feels so good to know I do not have that hanging over my head any longer. Next project will have to be the shop, a truly traumatic event that may be heard around the globe – we have lived in our current home for over twelve years now (just think about it). Have a wonderful productive day. Thanks for sharing and making me smile and while I do not often post, I do enjoy reading you emails every time I receive them.
You’re going to feel so much better when you’re rid of some of the stuff that clutters up your life. I have to periodically do this or my husband will do it for me. And then there’s a fight. LOL
I LOVE hearing about such cleanups. Really got take time out from all these edits to do my own. I save all kinds of paper, it’s getting ridiculous…
Wow! Woman on a mission indeed.