Anyone completely declutter and not regret it?

[maybeebaby08]

I've cut way back on bargain shopping, and now need to declutter. We live in a tiny apartment and I'm ready to just pack away 90% of the toys and donate them. Keep only the toys the girls play with daily. I get a little scared that I'll regret it. I guess I need some stories to encourage me to do this.

[Piglet]

Not quite the same, but I always tell DH that he is allowed to throw out/donate anything he wants, so long as I don't know about it. I am emotionally attached to certain silly things and I know that I wouldn't have the heart to throw any of them away. So far I have not missed anything he has gotten rid of. To be fair, we still have a TON of clutter, so it's not like he is purging 90% of our stuff, but still, I have had no regrets (yet) about anything that has left the house.

[Melaine]

Ohhh I want to talk about this! I have toyed with this idea several times but usually end up cutting back on some items and then going back to my cluttered ways. As we continue to grow our house feels like it keeps getting smaller! Now that we are homeschooling, it's just a whole other category of stuff to deal with. I have reached a breaking point with clutter several times but this time i think I have really snapped. It started around Thanksgiving when I went on my shopping break which was great for my entire outlook on "stuff". ( I just still love to shop so I am trying not to slip back into my old ways.) while i wasn't shopping, I went through tons of stuff, purging more ruthlessly then I ever have. I went through my closet and got rid of tons of trash bags of things. I gave away bags and boxes, trashed stuff, donated stuff. I just sent boxes of babystuff to a cousin. Then I asked the girls if they wanted to get rid of anything and they literally brought half their toys to the living room. I really started to think, if the kids aren't even attached to this stuff, why in the world am I letting it rule our lives? So I really really trying to make a change. It's kind of like how they say being skinny tastes better than any food? I am reminding myself that having room to breathe feels better than shopping, or keeping things that we "might need". I am really interested in a complete lifestyle change....really minimalist but I am nervous to go that far.

[mikala]

Is there some medium ground you could try? I boxed up a ton of toys last summer to see if we'd miss them and they are still in their boxes. I had the security of knowing we had them if we needed them again and now feel comfortable donating them.

[echoesofspring]

Is there some medium ground you could try? I boxed up a ton of toys last summer to see if we'd miss them and they are still in their boxes.

I haven't done it with household stuff, but did this in '12 when we were expecting DD and had to turn my office into her nursery, I went from having a whole room to a very small desk (the return part of my old L desk), a file cabinet and a bookshelf. Most stuff I got rid of and everything else I put in boxes (books, office supplies, etc.etc.), thinking 6 months later I would need them. It's been just over a year and I've pulled very little out of those boxes. When we move in a few months I probably should purge most of whats in those boxes.

[specialp]

Is there some medium ground you could try? I boxed up a ton of toys last summer to see if we'd miss them and they are still in their boxes. I had the security of knowing we had them if we needed them again and now feel comfortable donating them.

I absolutely hate clutter. I can't think in clutter. I keep a diaper box in each bedroom closet, throw stuff in there and donate once it is full. But DH is a different story and this above is what I asked him to do in the past and it has changed him. I would put the boxes/bags in the garage and after a while, asked if he missed it or thought we could go ahead and give it away. Now he has no problem getting rid of stuff b/c he has witnessed that he never misses the stuff once it is out of mind. (Plus,we have a hoarder in our family and I'm sure he is scared he has "the gene".)

[maybeebaby08]

Not quite the same, but I always tell DH that he is allowed to throw out/donate anything he wants, so long as I don't know about it. I am emotionally attached to certain silly things and I know that I wouldn't have the heart to throw any of them away. So far I have not missed anything he has gotten rid of. To be fair, we still have a TON of clutter, so it's not like he is purging 90% of our stuff, but still, I have had no regrets (yet) about anything that has left the house.

If I let DH do this I think I'd come home to only furniture in the house. It's nice to hear you don't miss the stuff, very encouraging!


I'm not sure how to multiquote.

We don't have storage so it's either donate or keep, no middle ground.

Melaine- Everything you said is how I feel, I've reached my breaking point, and don't want to feel cramped anymore. It's a complete change from how I was raised and currently live, but I feel like it would make my stress level go way down. I started in my girls room today and filled three giant trash bags with donations. I'm going to go back through and purge more this weekend. If I get rid of the kids stuff maybe it'll be easier in the other rooms too.





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[mikala]

I hear what you say about storage, but really you're storing it either way if you keep it in your house. You might find that just boxing for donation and waiting a couple days is enough middle ground.

[FSUMama]

I'm like specialp and I just can't be around clutter. It started when we lived in a small apartment in a city and we've kept "stuff" to a minimum ever since. I read minimalist blogs and purge things like clothes and baby stuff regularly. I don't miss things and most everything could be replaced if needed- but most of the time it's never needed again.

[Melaine]

I'm like specialp and I just can't be around clutter. It started when we lived in a small apartment in a city and we've kept "stuff" to a minimum ever since. I read minimalist blogs and purge things like clothes and baby stuff regularly. I don't miss things and most everything could be replaced if needed- but most of the time it's never needed again.

Could you share some of the minimalist blogs? I would love to check those out.

[FSUMama]

The Minimalist Mom, Be More with Less, and Becoming Minimalist have some good stuff to get started.

[Melaine]

The Minimalist Mom, Be More with Less, and Becoming Minimalist have some good stuff to get started.

Thanks! I am looking over these and seeing some great stuff.