Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – Lighten Up for the New Year
My husband and I are just past 60 and we are in downsizing mode. Unfortunately, we have lived in our present home for 33 years and the accumulation of stuff is not to be believed. For the last year I have been getting rid of things, but it feels like I’ve barely made a dent. I’m going to give you some hints on not just paring down your junk, but lightening your life. This is good for everyone- not just us downsizing Boomers.
My old thoughts on things were, “I might need this someday. If I get rid of it, I’ll be sorry! I have a big house; there’s room.” Nothing could be further from the truth. For one, I have things I haven’t even looked at in years. From clothes I don’t remember to kitchenware I haven’t used in this century. Younger people- start now; don’t get to the point where you are overwhelmed. Right now, I need to pare down a 4-bedroom house to fit into a small ranch house. Of course, it’s easy to say, “Just get rid of it!” In practice, it’s a little harder.
If you are moving, concentrate on the space you WILL have. Four bedroom sets will not fit in a two bedroom house. A complete dining set will not work if your new house has no dining room. I have noticed much of our furniture is not even used every day. I have entire chest of drawers full of stuff I haven’t looked at in years.
The year rule is a good one. Items you haven’t used in a year are not likely to be used in the next year. Of course you have sentimental or handed down items that you don’t see every day; you can keep those. But think too, “Can someone else use these?” Perhaps a young niece would love those dolls you were hanging onto. Do you have boxes of stuff in the basement or attic? Now is a good time to go through them. You might have boxes of old tech and most of this is probably junk. Know that anything with information still on it needs to be wiped. Many of these items are considered hazardous waste, so dispose of them accordingly.
Much of our house clutter is paper. You need to keep hard copies of certain things, like social security cards and birth certificates, but most everything else can be digitized and stored in the cloud. This will eliminate a large amount of clutter. Deal with your daily paper clutter; mail should be dealt with immediately. Shred anything like credit card offers and recycle most everything else. CDs and DVDs can be digitized also. Think of the space you can save!
Do realize that even with merciless purging, you may still have more stuff than you have space for. There are many space saving organizers on the market now, from under-bed storage to different styles of closet organizers. Perhaps a section of a spare room can be made into a makeshift closet. Use the space behind doors for hanging shoe storage. Add shelves and hooks for coats, gloves, and hats in the mudroom or entryway.
So lighten up for the New Year! Remember, the junk man is your friend. For less than you think, they will come and dispose of anything you point to. Most of them will recycle and donate to lessen your footprint in the landfill. They are invaluable for us busy people- it’s there, then it’s gone!
KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
