{"id":3620,"date":"2017-05-04T09:59:07","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T15:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/?p=3620"},"modified":"2024-08-16T09:02:15","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T15:02:15","slug":"a-readers-decluttering-dilemma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/a-readers-decluttering-dilemma\/","title":{"rendered":"Answering Your Decluttering Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A lovely reader named Leah wrote me with decluttering questions<\/strong> about a common dilemma that can arise when trying to clear space and get organized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here’s her letter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Eliza, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to declutter, and I am about to get rid of lots of things. For me, the difficulty isn’t in parting with the things (i.e., it’s not a question of sentimentality or nostalgia) – the issue is that I don’t know how to find all these things good homes without going to great lengths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goodwill and other charity shops are great for some items, but I simply don’t know what to do with really nice things. I want the next “steward” to really love them – not keep them in storage (as I did) and then put them in landfill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can get rid of these things quick on Freecycle, but I’ve found that people don’t value objects or services unless they pay for them. eBay is a possibility but it involves a lot of time and hassle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yard sales are time-consuming and people generally are looking for deals (rather than things they love and need); and giving these things as gifts feels like I’m burdening my friends. Two strong, conflicting needs –- to shift the stuff fast and be non-wasteful –- are tough for me to reconcile, and I don’t know what to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would you advise?? My husband tells me not to feel guilty or responsible for the existence of these things (especially the items that were given to me as gifts), but I find this so emotional and difficult!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratefully yours,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~Conscientious, but Crowded<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leah, have you considered keeping a hungry goat as a pet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pet<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sorry, I’m kidding—no pun intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me share a couple of thoughts, and then we’ll invite our astute readers to weigh in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. You might enjoy this post,<\/strong> “How to Declutter Your Home: 10 Creative Decluttering Tips<\/a>,” by Joshua Becker. Joshua is the founder of Becoming Minimalist, a wonderful site with inspiring ideas to help people create functional spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Consider selling your treasures on NextDoor.com,<\/strong> a site that connects people in nearby neighborhoods. It’s much less anonymous than, say, Craigslist. I’ve sold several items using the site’s free classified ads, and met some really nice people in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Find a nonprofit that helps people transition from homelessness.<\/strong> A fine example here in Denver is Joshua Station, a former old Motel 6 converted into apartments refurbished by volunteers and decorated with donated goods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some charities offer free furniture pickup services<\/a>, so your wonderful treasures will directly be making a difference in another person’s life. This may help you feel more peace about letting them go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Photograph your treasures<\/strong> before you say goodbye, and make a photo book through a service like Shutterfly. Write a few memories, so that you can remember and share your feelings about the items and what they meant to you. (Read more strategies about how to enjoy things without owning them<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Try shorts bursts of work. <\/strong>If you have a lot of items to deal with, you might enjoy our post with 5 tips about how to declutter fast<\/a> by tackling the process in 15-minute increments. The Mini Decluttering Challenge<\/a> is another great way to kickstart your efforts to tidy and organize your spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Give yourself grace.<\/strong> As Leah wrote in her letter, the process of letting sentimental objects go can be emotional. When my son’s father died<\/a>, I realized that having his dad’s belongings around brought him great comfort so we lived in a full house for a few seasons. Be gentle with your heart if you’re feeling sad about parting with something, and eventually you will find the right answer at the right time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How About You?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Readers, will you share your thoughts about how to mindfully declutter and let things go? I always love hearing your ideas and comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S. Grateful thanks to Rebecca Siegel for the use of her wonderful goat image above.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"2023-07-27T19:43:11","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[774,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-simple-home","category-simple-living","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"yoast_head":"\nAnswering Your Decluttering Questions - Happy Simple Living<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A reader writes with decluttering questions about the best way to downsize and give away things with sentimental value.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/a-readers-decluttering-dilemma\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Answering Your Decluttering Questions - 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