Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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sgilmarti89
Posts: 94
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 4:22 pm

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by sgilmarti89 »

The movers have picked up everything now. This was much faster than I thought it would be.

Things I've learned:

- There's no point trying to sell every thing. If I had to do it over again, I would only try selling the expensive items. Everything under $20 I would simply trash, donate or recycle without further hesitation. Otherwise, it just takes forever. To sell things quick, discount aggressively (at least 70%) - the point is just to recover a fraction of the purchase cost.

- Taking pictures really helps. Once I had a picture of some items, it was easy to discard them.

- I'm much more careful about buying things now. I don't want to go through this process again in 10 years. In fact, I think I might just lay off shopping for a few years .... !
selters
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:26 am

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by selters »

Taking pictures of stuff and storing them digitally before throwing them away makes it easier to throw them away to me. That way you can still show them to children/grandchildren or look at them if you want to. Most of the time you won't even do that, but at least you have the possibility. And the possibility that you might want to do that sometime in the future is usually the reason why you keep them around anyway.
selters
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:26 am

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by selters »

Cycle wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:28 pm.I got rid of my "priceless" CD collection years ago, uploaded to Google music.
Can this get you into some legal trouble? I mean storing music in the cloud. Do you have to prove that you once owned those CDs? Or isn't even that good enough?

If not legal trouble for you, do you risk that any of the major cloud providers delete your music just to stay safe themselves?
halfnine
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Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:48 pm

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by halfnine »

DanMahowny wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:59 am 3 years from now, my wife and I are going to get in the car and drive South, with only a wallet, cell phone, and the clothes we are wearing. Destination unknown.

In the meantime, we'll get rid of EVERYTHING.

Remember, the things you own end up owning you.
Actually, many things you don't own you will rent. Sometimes this is cost and time effective and sometimes it is not.
Cycle
Posts: 2047
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Location: Minneapolis

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by Cycle »

selters wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:07 am
Cycle wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:28 pm.I got rid of my "priceless" CD collection years ago, uploaded to Google music.
Can this get you into some legal trouble? I mean storing music in the cloud. Do you have to prove that you once owned those CDs? Or isn't even that good enough?

If not legal trouble for you, do you risk that any of the major cloud providers delete your music just to stay safe themselves?
You need to convert the CDs to MP3's, then upload them. You own the music, so you can move it to the cloud if you wish. On the cloud it's still just for personal use. I wouldn't upload any music that was stolen, ie downloaded on napster, as even having that music is illegal.

Yes, there is risk that google will dissolve Google Music or this feature. You used to be able to download all your songs off the google music website. I have the MP3's still on a harddrive somewhere as well.
Never look back unless you are planning to go that way
researcher
Posts: 1294
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:05 pm

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by researcher »

sgilmarti89 wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:50 am I want to downsize because for a variety of reasons, it seems likely I will be moving from place to place over the next five years. 18 boxes is neither here nor there - it seems too large to be carting 18 boxes with me from one city to another.
I still don't understand why you feel the need to downsize further. 18 small (22"x15"x11") plastic bins is not much.

You could move all of these bins OUT of one place and INTO another place in less than 30 minutes.
If you cut your possessions by 50%, leaving you with 9 plastic bins, it would only save ~15 minutes per move.

With this in mind, what is the point?
You are going to get rid of prized family heirlooms to save yourself a few minutes of work when you move?
researcher
Posts: 1294
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Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by researcher »

DanMahowny wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:59 am 3 years from now, my wife and I are going to get in the car and drive South, with only a wallet, cell phone, and the clothes we are wearing. Destination unknown.
In the meantime, we'll get rid of EVERYTHING.
Remember, the things you own end up owning you.
Can you explain the rationale of this?

I assume you'll want more than 1 pair (dirty) of socks/underwear?
A toothbrush and other toiletries?
Likely lots of other things you use on a daily basis?

What is the point of getting rid of "EVERYTHING," if you must re-buy this stuff just a few days after you leave?
Jack FFR1846
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Location: 26 miles, 385 yards west of Copley Square

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

gd wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:32 am
sgilmarti89 wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:55 am, two boxes are family heirlooms, containing things like two musical instruments with a great deal of family history that someone younger in the family might want some day.
Perhaps it's time for someone else in the family to safeguard them. If no one will, you should consider revising your expectations or your reasons.
Anyone holding anything that future generations MAY want should probably either ask the future generations now or assume nobody wants it and sell it off since you know what it's worth.

I had my 1974 custom built racing bicycle that I built while working at a bike shop in my senior year of high school. I raced locally and in state championships. It went with me to college and raced around New England and then for commuting into grad school. For 1974, it was state of the art with titanium parts that were 1 of 5 at the time in the world. I don't ride it anymore. It's sentimental at best. I sold it this fall because neither of my sons is interested (we have a new road bike that both can ride). It was clutter.

I do keep my 1969 Guild archtop guitar that my parents bought me when I was 12. I only pull it out to play once a year and we've got another 4 or 5 guitars in the house. My younger son plays but not this one. I should probably consider selling although it's one of those things that's easy to sell to get some value. Walk it into Guitar Center and they'll pay wholesale as a used instrument.

My dad had plenty of antique things that he went through the trouble of putting tags on with values. When he passed and I received some of these, I agonized over selling them for what was on the tags. In the end, I realized that I didn't know where to sell them or where the market was. Most were craigslisted for a few dollars or thrown into my wood furnace.

Don't keep stuff for unknowing future generations unless you're ok with them becoming fuel to heat the house.
Bogle: Smart Beta is stupid
michaeljc70
Posts: 10843
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:53 pm

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by michaeljc70 »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:43 am
gd wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:32 am
sgilmarti89 wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:55 am, two boxes are family heirlooms, containing things like two musical instruments with a great deal of family history that someone younger in the family might want some day.
Perhaps it's time for someone else in the family to safeguard them. If no one will, you should consider revising your expectations or your reasons.
Anyone holding anything that future generations MAY want should probably either ask the future generations now or assume nobody wants it and sell it off since you know what it's worth.

I had my 1974 custom built racing bicycle that I built while working at a bike shop in my senior year of high school. I raced locally and in state championships. It went with me to college and raced around New England and then for commuting into grad school. For 1974, it was state of the art with titanium parts that were 1 of 5 at the time in the world. I don't ride it anymore. It's sentimental at best. I sold it this fall because neither of my sons is interested (we have a new road bike that both can ride). It was clutter.

I do keep my 1969 Guild archtop guitar that my parents bought me when I was 12. I only pull it out to play once a year and we've got another 4 or 5 guitars in the house. My younger son plays but not this one. I should probably consider selling although it's one of those things that's easy to sell to get some value. Walk it into Guitar Center and they'll pay wholesale as a used instrument.

My dad had plenty of antique things that he went through the trouble of putting tags on with values. When he passed and I received some of these, I agonized over selling them for what was on the tags. In the end, I realized that I didn't know where to sell them or where the market was. Most were craigslisted for a few dollars or thrown into my wood furnace.

Don't keep stuff for unknowing future generations unless you're ok with them becoming fuel to heat the house.
I agree. My Grandfather recently passed away. He lived in the same house 50 years. After posting things on craigslist for months and 2 days of estate sales it yielded only a couple thousand dollars. It wasn't worth all the effort. After that experience, I would handle future relatives estates like this: remove jewelry/antiques/other valuable items and decide with other heirs to split or sell, ask friend/family to take what they want of what remains-particularly sentimental things, donate or throw out rest. Furniture if not well known, expensive brands or good quality antiques (not just old stuff) is practically worthless.
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prudent
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Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by prudent »

Topic moved to Personal Consumer Issues.
Amanda999
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Location: Boston suburbs

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by Amanda999 »

sgilmarti89 wrote: Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:50 am ... One IKEA box only fits four shoe boxes and the accompanying shoe trees.
For the electronics box, all the music CDs are scanned, but I am not sure if lossless WAV will really produce quite as good a sound as the original CDs? So I've kept them for now ... but if there really is 0% difference, I might be able to bring myself to part with them as they are all already on my computer.
I've made little progress on the sentimental items - can't seem to discard much, even after taking photos. ...
You're doing great! 18 box goal is impressive, so I only offer the below FWIW - you don't need help IMO. You have way less than most people, for sure.
1. Ditch the shoe boxes and shoe trees (wrap shoes in bedding or clothing you are keeping, for protection during the move);
2. I think 99% of people would not notice a loss of quality between CDs - which do degrade (sometimes quickly) - and lossless. I've ditched all my CDs. If in 10 years a better sounding format is available, I'm sure you can buy it on amazon for $1 per song or so.... and then again 10 years after that... I joined amazon music and now have no clue what music I own v. am just 'borrowing.'
3. Sentimental items: remember your memories are not in the tangible items. Perhaps you have a sibling/relative/friend who would also find the item sentimental? I.e., you keep the photos of it, and give him/her the item? Just a thought. I only keep sentimental items that are very small, or I actually display in my home.
4. Bedding is easy and inexpensive to buy anywhere you'd move to. I'd only keep my very favorite non-bulky blanket that is useful for wrapping other things in during the move.
HTH!
Mitchell777
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Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by Mitchell777 »

I found this process to be an eye opener. The things I thought had value often did not. The beautiful old organ that I thought had to be worth $500. By the time I did all the research I had to pay someone to haul it away. The records from the 60's that had rarely been played. After all the research I took the ones I thought had the most value to a couple record stores and got $12. Worst of all, the diamond rings my grandmother bought in a jewelry store in 1950 for over $250 each. I had them appraised. They were mid range quality with a resale value in a jewelry store at $4000 for both. Best offer I received for the nicest one was $150. I knew the markup was huge but had no idea that huge. It cost almost as much to have them appraised as they are worth. The only thing that seemed to hold value over many decades were the hunting guns.
WhyNotKnow
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Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2019 5:49 pm

Re: Trying to downsize but still too much stuff

Post by WhyNotKnow »

Margareta Magnusson is the author of the book “ The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”.

The author reminisces about her life while covering the art of preparing for your death.
And the book has an interesting recipe for Bohuslän Cheesecake in the back. :happy
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