Wow...just how much shit do we have?

As I have already posted, Tony and I are moving to France and retiring early at the end of this month.

That being said, we have slowly been getting rid of crap that we accumulated over the years so our move will consist only of a large shipping pod, a bunch of suitcases and our carry-ons. We finished out with my mom's old china and crystal, which was really not my taste and today we started with the furniture.

Holy hell! How much shit you can accumulate surprised the hell out of me. We're keeping the old photo albums and some VERY limited memorabilia, but we are throwing out crap like you wouldn't believe. I ordered a dumpster delivered and we already filled it up and they are coming back again on Friday. Anything usable is going to the Goodwill, and we gave some of our furniture to the no-kill shelter for their waiting room. Their office furniture was completely shot, so that's going on Saturday.

With the clothing, over 2/3rds of it is going to Goodwill or the consignment shops. Mom had some beautiful Givenchy and Dior stuff she bought when she and dad went to Paris before I was born. That's going off to a vintage clothing place with mom's hats and most of her costume jewelry. She had some beautiful pieces that apparently are worth a lot, so we consigned them.

I'll tell y'all one thing--simplifying your life to only necessities and just a few things makes it that much easier because you don't waste time cleaning crap. Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is extremely casual, and neither of us plans on going into the grey flannel world ever again, so our wardrobes are shrinking.

But....where in the hell do you get rid of all this crap? Easy. Goodwill and consignment--they'll even pick it up for you!

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Holy hell! How much shit you can accumulate surprised the hell out of me.

LOL. I know

Dh and I shed a mega-size dining suite when we downsized from almost 1900 sq ft to 1000. We were crazy to buy it; cherry, 8 chairs, 2 leaves, a china cabinet; but at the time we acquired it we were living near family who are really into get togethers. Also a Victorian parlor set: loveseat and two chairs that were covered in brocade material and built of tortured and scrolled wood. Again, bought at a different time, when I was into High Victorian decor. We let that furniture go with the house.

When we planned on downsizing yet again; hoping to move into my job apartment while I finished my work years; we got rid of another bunch of stuff via Craigslist (and went through the hassle of people trying to dicker us down to practically zero cost to them. F*ckers )

I told Dh that if I had a wayback machine, I'd zoom back to my younger self and say "STAAAAHHP! don't go buying all that shit, you'll just have to get rid of it one day!" We don't regret buying all our books, but the rest of our houseful of crap? pfffffft d

It might get even more interesting if we decide to just live in our RV and travel all the time. After I quit work (hopefully next year), we're going to keep our house for at least a year before deciding. I really don't know how I'm going to manage THAT kind of downsizing

Don't get me started.

I am a minimalist and a firm believer in getting rid of what you don't use. It's all about making that decision and taking action to get rid of something at the point where it becomes unusable. I also have rules about getting new stuff: if you are replacing something, the old thing goes out.

DH does not ascribe to this philosophy and it drives me nucking futs. In fact, he's famous for never throwing anything out, even when stuff is broken. Not long ago I became unglued when I found our old bathroom faucets, both of which leaked, in boxes in the back of a closet in our second bedroom. Why on Earth would you save shit that's broken and shove it in the back of a closet?

He's currently getting on my nerves because he took our old grill to my mom's estate sale, which was good, but refused to take the grill cover, which has his school log on it. So it's lying on our deck now. I asked him today if he was getting rid of the gas cylinder and he said no, because "you never now" and he might buy a gas grill in the future. :eatu (After he just blew over a grand on a Big Green Egg.)

When we each sold a house and moved into our present house, he put boxes of shit into closets and hasn't touched them since. (We moved into our house in 2005.) Another bone of contention is his old computer monitor, which is in his former man cave. It's a CRT monitor and I've been asking him to get rid of it for years--it's sitting there, not attached to a computer. It needs to go to our dump where it will be responsibly disposed of.

I am fortunate in that I live a couple of miles away from a thrift store that is run by the animal shelter where I volunteer. It's a guilt-free way to get rid of stuff. It's a tax deduction and it helps the animals.

Did I mention my DH is going to his family reunion alone this year? I'm going to have a satisfying time by myself, getting rid of his shit that we don't use and he will never know is missing.

If we move again, we are not mindlessly moving shit from point A to point B. DH and my mom are both fans of moving stuff to the next place without questioning if they are using something.

Hahaha! This is a big problem for me too. In fact today we are trying to sort out our tools. We just finished a remodel and swept everything together randomly as we left the premises. What. A. Mess.

It will be very good to have it all sorted back out and put away. My sweet husband HATES sorting with a passion, so I get to solve the problem and he will put it all away in some order that makes sense.
We have a shipping container for a tool/workshop, so at least it isn't taking up room in the house. 40' long, both walls lined with shelves and totes.
I think at this point once it's all sorted out, we won't need to buy a single tool to accomplish the next remodel. Working our asses off in pursuit of early retirement.
We only manage about one house every three years, but we do the vast majority of the work ourselves.

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Presto
Hahaha! This is a big problem for me too. In fact today we are trying to sort out our tools. We just finished a remodel and swept everything together randomly as we left the premises. What. A. Mess.

It will be very good to have it all sorted back out and put away. My sweet husband HATES sorting with a passion, so I get to solve the problem and he will put it all away in some order that makes sense.

Tools

My Dh and his tools

The man is so fucking disorganized with them. Thankfully that's the only real issue with us because it drives me fucking nutz. He never-EVER puts them away. I find tools in kitchen drawers, in bathroom drawers, in the drawer of his bedside table, piled ON TOP OF his bedside table. Then he says he can't find them and rants because he has to have one RIGHT NOW to get a project done. Half the time, if I haven't given in and chased the tool down, he'll just go buy another one. Which promptly disappears because he downs it in some insane spot and can't find it.

I bought him a big tool chest to store shit. Stuff that isn't used often, like plumber's wrenches and pry bars have stayed in place. Little shit like wrenches and screw drivers - Dh will slam the drawers of the chest closed, fume that he can't find what he needs, then stomp off to the car to drive to Lowe's.

These last couple of months, I finally told him "this shit has to stop. you're retired, there aren't that many projects to do, we're getting your crap organized and it is going to STAY ORGANIZED " I then marched him off to Walmart, where we bought several of those plastic drawer cabinets. I went around and collected every tool that was laying around the house, sent him down to the tool shed with the wheelbarrow to fill with stuff, then we spent several days in the garage organizing the cabinets and labeling them as to which kind of tool goes in there.

Now, when he does a project, I'll ask him if he put his tools away. If I get a sheepish look, I make him track it down and frogmarch the man to the garage. I swear to Dog, after 30 years I think a breakthrough has been made. It's been quite awhile since I opened a kitchen drawer and found a set of wrenches rattling around with the silverware.

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Now, when he does a project, I'll ask him if he put his tools away. If I get a sheepish look, I make him track it down and frogmarch the man to the garage. I swear to Dog, after 30 years I think a breakthrough has been made.

I'm starting to think we are all married to the same middle-aged male.

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Dorisan

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Presto
Hahaha! This is a big problem for me too. In fact today we are trying to sort out our tools. We just finished a remodel and swept everything together randomly as we left the premises. What. A. Mess.

It will be very good to have it all sorted back out and put away. My sweet husband HATES sorting with a passion, so I get to solve the problem and he will put it all away in some order that makes sense.

The man is so fucking disorganized with them. Thankfully that's the only real issue with us because it drives me fucking nutz. He never-EVER puts them away.

PUTTING AWAY TOOLS:

Since I live alone, have a low income (ie need to make and repair items), isolated in a small village (ie need to plan to get needed supplies) and have limited energy due to multiple illnesses, I struggle with many issues, including with tools.

I also love to try many new things, unrestricted by gender labels (ie quilting, deck-building, gardening, cycling, bike building, home repair, home decorating, etc)


My current projects for this month:
- king sized quilt project (top just completed, including making own plan and complex math)
- getting all materials and setting up for the first time for machine quilting
- learning how to machine quilt on small projects and get the large quilt done in 4 weeks
- build 4 raised garden beds and install using lasagna method to prepare soil
- plant and seed approximately 800 sq feet of intensive gardens.
- mulch and divide about 1500 sq feet of perennial garden
- remove an entire wall of storage and all contents in preparation for landlord wall repair.
- build small floating deck

Due to the disabilities, I have extremely narrow windows of time when I have enough focus and energy to work on most projects, especially if they require thinking or energy.

I can frequently plod through mindless zombie grunt work (ie dig holes in garden, separate plants, mix soil, etc) if I have frequent rest breaks, but I have to be very selective of when to work when thinking (ie math calculations, planning, etc ) or attention (ie power tools, cutting, danger from materials, precision, etc) is required.

The frequent rest breaks and the narrow windows (ie only a few hours per week) of focal time means that projects, materials and tools are frequently laying out to be re-started.

If I put the materials and tools away, multiple times per project, - it squanders what little energy I have to actually finish the project.

I try very hard to only have two projects actually laid out and going at the same time:
one (ie high energy/focus) ,
one ( grunt work, zombie work)


I also try to pick up after myself and do a general tidy / consolidation at the end of every day.

I also try to keep all tools either:
a) with the project
b) at least lumped in correct tool or project section (ie shelf unit for power tools, large chest for hand tools, sewing items in craft room, current project together in bag/box, etc)

I probably have several thousands of dollars worth of art supplies in my apartment. It seriously looks like an art store exploded in my living room. It is crazy. That and I find video games under the bed on a regular basis.

I am moving and we have a lot of crap also. We are looking for bigger digs closer to where my husband works. Every time I think about all the shit we have to pack, my stomach goes into a knot. Of course he's going to be helping me with the cleaning and packing, but still...

We have a massive record/CD/DVD/VHS collection which needs to be packed up.
I have a large wardrobe, which I have already downsized considerably.
I have my online store, and all that stuff has to stay out and available to me until the last minute.
I am a collector of antique and vintage items, many of which are expensive and breakable. I am sweating already.
We have my aquarium, which is 75 gallons which has to be moved by us.
My husband has a whole lot of stereo equipment, computer and electronic stuff that has to be packed and moved carefully.
My piano has to be moved yet AGAIN.

While I love the idea of moving to a more rural setting, I am dreading the actual work. I have kept the townhouse I live in very clean, but I hate the idea of breeders parading in and out of my suite and possibly breaking some of my items. I am also a very private creature who hates to have her space invaded.

Moving is a stressful thing, and I haven't lived here that long. Husband and I have talked about it at length, and we do need a larger place to house our stuff. Our townhouse just isn't big enough as it is, as evidenced by the fact that I keep stubbing my toes on the furniture. The rooms are dinky and we want something more spacious.

We haven't found any place yet, but are seriously looking. I am trying to stay positive about the whole thing, and we make a great team, but when the time comes, I know it will be stress city.

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mumofsixbirds
We have a massive record/CD/DVD/VHS collection which needs to be packed up.

Might make a small dent ...

Dh and I ripped our CDs and DVDs to digital files. I think Windows has an app for CDs and there is software (http://www.winxdvd.com/) that converts DVDs to AVI (I think) files. Only purchased DVDs. If you've recorded to DVD, it won't rip them, or at least it didn't ours.

Mind that the DVD files can be huge. We bought a 3T external hard drive to store the files, but something the size of a paperback is vastly less space taking than eight seasons of Frasier, all the seasons of Sex and the City, Lost, The Lord of the Rings trilogy (special boxed set).... I think we had about 300 DVDs of movies and tv series.

Once I ripped them (it takes about half the length of the show or movie - a 30 minute episode takes at least 15 minutes to rip, so on ...) and verified the quality, we donated all the DVDs to the library. Our contribution created a major expansion of their viewing library eyes2

We watch everything on our PCs, but Dh researched and found that newer tv models that have USB ports should be able to connect to an external hard drive.

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Dorisan

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Presto
Hahaha! This is a big problem for me too. In fact today we are trying to sort out our tools. We just finished a remodel and swept everything together randomly as we left the premises. What. A. Mess.

It will be very good to have it all sorted back out and put away. My sweet husband HATES sorting with a passion, so I get to solve the problem and he will put it all away in some order that makes sense.

Tools

gaah.gif

My Dh and his tools

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The man is so fucking disorganized with them. Thankfully that's the only real issue with us because it drives me fucking nutz. He never-EVER puts them away. I find tools in kitchen drawers, in bathroom drawers, in the drawer of his bedside table, piled ON TOP OF his bedside table. Then he says he can't find them and rants because he has to have one RIGHT NOW to get a project done. Half the time, if I haven't given in and chased the tool down, he'll just go buy another one. Which promptly disappears because he downs it in some insane spot and can't find it.

I bought him a big tool chest to store shit. Stuff that isn't used often, like plumber's wrenches and pry bars have stayed in place. Little shit like wrenches and screw drivers - Dh will slam the drawers of the chest closed, fume that he can't find what he needs, then stomp off to the car to drive to Lowe's.

These last couple of months, I finally told him "this shit has to stop. you're retired, there aren't that many projects to do, we're getting your crap organized and it is going to STAY ORGANIZED " I then marched him off to Walmart, where we bought several of those plastic drawer cabinets. I went around and collected every tool that was laying around the house, sent him down to the tool shed with the wheelbarrow to fill with stuff, then we spent several days in the garage organizing the cabinets and labeling them as to which kind of tool goes in there.

Now, when he does a project, I'll ask him if he put his tools away. If I get a sheepish look, I make him track it down and frogmarch the man to the garage. I swear to Dog, after 30 years I think a breakthrough has been made. It's been quite awhile since I opened a kitchen drawer and found a set of wrenches rattling around with the silverware.

Oh yeah, can't find it, go get a new one. This sounds so familiar!
I am soooo looking forward to retirement. This is the one pre retirement sorting I will do for him, my time is at a premium but it really needs to be done.

I got the tools sorted, now I have to sort out 12 bins of electrical supplies. Even he didn't realize how many he had accumulated. LOL!
From romex to cat5, finish plates to old/new work boxes, low voltage and 120v stuff all jumbled together.
Gives me something to do during the hot afternoons since it is piled up waiting in the nice cool basement. Almost hit 90 last weekend!

We have both collected the makings for hobbies/projects that we swear we'll have time for once we don't have to run off to work daily, but is it really easier to find the time after retirement?

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Presto
We have both collected the makings for hobbies/projects that we swear we'll have time for once we don't have to run off to work daily, but is it really easier to find the time after retirement?

For some it might be easier. For Dh and I, no.

And it's not really time but other resources - physical energy, enthusiasm ... age can take that from you, especially if you spend your productive years in a high stress or physically draining job.

I was big into gardening as a young person. Once my job began to be so taxing, I kind of fell back, saying "wellll, once Dh and I aren't working, I can coat my thumb with green again." And that hasn't happened. I'm still working (Dh is retired) but at an easier job (well, except for the bitch who makes everyone's life a misery), but my interest in gardening has flagged. I simply have less energy to shovel, plant and weed.

And you don't know that you might develop other interests. I didn't have 5 dogs when I was young, I was a cat person. Once I fell in love with the Japanese Chin breed, much of my energy and enthusiasm became directed at them.

So, you can plan for your interests at retirement; they may well remain; but don't be surprised if you veer off slightly or totally in a new direction.

Dh and I figure that as long as we keep our minds and bodies active at some sort of pursuit we'll be doing well.

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Dorisan

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mumofsixbirds
We have a massive record/CD/DVD/VHS collection which needs to be packed up.

Might make a small dent ...

Dh and I ripped our CDs and DVDs to digital files. I think Windows has an app for CDs and there is software (http://www.winxdvd.com/) that converts DVDs to AVI (I think) files. Only purchased DVDs. If you've recorded to DVD, it won't rip them, or at least it didn't ours.

Mind that the DVD files can be huge. We bought a 3T external hard drive to store the files, but something the size of a paperback is vastly less space taking than eight seasons of Frasier, all the seasons of Sex and the City, Lost, The Lord of the Rings trilogy (special boxed set).... I think we had about 300 DVDs of movies and tv series.

Once I ripped them (it takes about half the length of the show or movie - a 30 minute episode takes at least 15 minutes to rip, so on ...) and verified the quality, we donated all the DVDs to the library. Our contribution created a major expansion of their viewing library eyes2

We watch everything on our PCs, but Dh researched and found that newer tv models that have USB ports should be able to connect to an external hard drive.

That's a great idea! Thanks Dorisan! wink

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Dorisan
These last couple of months, I finally told him "this shit has to stop. you're retired, there aren't that many projects to do, we're getting your crap organized and it is going to STAY ORGANIZED " I then marched him off to Walmart, where we bought several of those plastic drawer cabinets. I went around and collected every tool that was laying around the house, sent him down to the tool shed with the wheelbarrow to fill with stuff, then we spent several days in the garage organizing the cabinets and labeling them as to which kind of tool goes in there.

I'm probably as bad as your DH. Eventually, I found something that works for me - I went to the local dollar store and bought something like 20 clear shoe boxes with lids. Then I bought a label maker, so it would look a little neater than Sharpie on tape, and I went to town. They are all on a set of shelves in my storage closet/utility room, and it's much easier for me to find things now, and put them away. I am one of those people who needs to be able to *see* everything, so regular tool chests don't really work for me. It's not perfect, but it's much, much better than it used to be. About once every couple of weeks, I'll go around the house and do a big round up of my tools if one box is looking a little low, but generally I put stuff back.

It's also good because I have a couple of spare ones that I can dump everything in if a project doesn't get finish in one sitting. So everything is there, right by the project, it's just put away so I won't step on it.

I've also been doing a big clear out lately. With my home becoming a dumping ground for two family members' stuff (there are reasons for it, and I don't mind temporarily) I've started to realize how much absolute crap I have. I've taken 2 car loads of stuff to Goodwill, and I'm working on car load number 3. I don't have the time or patience for a garage sale or Craigs List.

Presto you flip houses? I'd love to do that someday, once I can afford the initial outlay. I love remodeling and doing that sort of work and I'm good at it, aside from painting, I'm just slow.

"Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live." - Oscar Wilde

Every time we try to get rid of crap twice as much crap enters the condo. FiL died and MiL tried to give us all the furniture and all the crap in their winter place. Takeo said no to the furniture but accepted some boxes of stuff that went to Goodwill when got home.

The main summer project is clearing crap and putting the stuff we keep in a place we can find it. Part of living in a small space is we get too creative about finding storage spots and then can't find whatever and then buy it again. Problem is Takeo is a book reviewer and needs to keep most of the books he reviews since more likely than not they're part of a series.

I'll admit my sewing stuff eats a lot of space. I need to sort the fabric bins and sell/give away the fabric I've had for years and probably won't use. Also have to deal with well meaning friends who give me worn out clothes thinking I can upcycle it into something instead of the clothes going to the landfill.

Because we're Childfree we have infinite storage space. One of the Takeo's fellow Board members seems to think we can store the organization's property in our condo. Got shut down when I asked how much they would pay to rent our storage unit.

We're not really flipping them, we still own them all. Fixing them up to be habitable looks like flipping, I get it, but I'd also really love to have that $20-100k instant profit I see on those house flipping shows!
Just building cash flow. I couldn't do it without my husband being the badass landlord, I'm too easily intimidate-able.
We'll sell them off when we retire and convert that into our dream retirement home in the boonies somewhere. Got to keep the day job to earn the retirement fund for the day to day living expenses in retirement, or I'd quit and fix them up full time while I still have energy.

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amethyst114
I'm probably as bad as your DH. Eventually, I found something that works for me - I went to the local dollar store and bought something like 20 clear shoe boxes with lids. Then I bought a label maker, so it would look a little neater than Sharpie on tape, and I went to town. They are all on a set of shelves in my storage closet/utility room, and it's much easier for me to find things now, and put them away. I am one of those people who needs to be able to *see* everything, so regular tool chests don't really work for me. It's not perfect, but it's much, much better than it used to be.

That seems to be working for Dh. Part of it is that so many projects get done in the spring/summer, right when it starts to get hot. You can add about 30 degrees to the inside temperature of a garage or shed, so going out there to rummage around in greasy, non-organized tool boxes/chests exacerbates the lack of patience. Now, he goes into the garage, saying "I need a socket wrench," and can easily see where it's at.

This next week, we'll be tackling Christmas decorations. Dh loves lights; moar lights! eyes2 We'll be getting all the tubs out of storage and laying the light strands and ornaments on the kitchen floor to sort and store them in smaller boxes. I'm sure he'll be happy if a few are burned out or have become tattered, that just means he can go shopping for more when they start appearing on shelves in ... oh, probably September :cool