Unsolicited Tips For Getting Rid Of Your Crap
Posted: December 3rd, 2009 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: planning | 5 Comments »
More than once in my life I have woken up, had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, then randomly decided that I need to get rid of everything I own and leave the country. This post isn’t about the psychological issues that cause me to compulsively jettison all my cargo. Instead it’s my abridged, unsorted list of tips for effectively purging yourself of stuff. I got to thinking about possessions and how much we want them from a great post over on Chapter 37. So I next got to thinking about the business end of having stuff, and had started to write up a huge guide on getting rid of it. It kept putting me to sleep though as apparently how to throw something away just isn’t that interesting of a topic. I’m going to approach this brief list from the example of purging your stuff in preparation for a long backpacking trip.
Here are a few tips that help me to easily go through my belongings and get rid of them. Maybe some of them will be helpful for you.
- Keep things visible. Leave those closet doors open all the time. Pile things in a visible location.
- Get rid of something every day. This doesn’t replace the tasks of hauling off loads of stuff, but it’s my favourite way to keep up the momentum. Even if it’s just something small, it helps you stay on target. Anyone who has blown up a Death Star knows how important it is to stay on target.
- Make a time line. Every project should have planned bite-size milestones that make the larger project possible.
- While you’re in the moment of feeling motivated about your trip/goal, get rid of some stuff. It’s a bit tedious of a task, so relating it directly to what you’re motivated about is key.
- Come to terms with getting rid of it all while you are away from your stuff. Go sit on a park bench, or in the bus station, for awhile and imagine what a life is like where you don’t have things to go home to. They’re a big part of our lives, so try to create a positive association in your mind to being without them.
- Find the disposal solution that works for you. I personally think that finding new homes for items I like is kind of fun. And it feels much better than throwing things away. I also like to think of the friends I give things to as my victims. I pretty much make my own fun.
- Dispose of things in waves. For example, I have a hard time getting rid of t-shirts. So once a month I would go through and toss about 10% of them. Sometimes I would be more keen and do more, but each time I got closer and it became easier.
- If your preferred disposal method is becoming a hindrance, just throw the stuff out. In some places it is impossible to find a charity that will come get your stuff. And sometimes Ebay is more hassle than it’s worth. So if trying to do the right thing is becoming your excuse, then it’s trash can time. There are no excuses for not making your project milestones. Git ‘er done.
- Keep a trash bag out in the middle of your home at all times. It should be super easy for you to throw away stuff so you have no barriers or excuses.
- Don’t buy any more things, damnit. No seriously, stop it.
Well, that’s pretty much how I roll when the time comes to abandon ship. What about you? Do you have any good tips for aspiring minimalists?
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// shawn
photo credit: podolux
Great tips, I started a year ago, slowly giving things away and selling them on kijiji.
Now that I’m 8 weeks away I choose a room a day to pillage – tonight was the kitchen. I now only have 2 plates, 2 bowls and some cutlery and the rest is in the laundry room of my apartment under a “free” sign.
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“- Don’t buy any more things, damnit. No seriously, stop it.” Sums it up the best so you don’t turn around and refill your closets as fast as you empty them out.
I would also Free Cycle I’ve never used it but have had friends use it before. It’s a good way of not just adding to the garbage dump, this site thrives off that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ mentality.
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Yeah, I’m having a difficult time getting rid of stuff. And t-shirts are a big deal for me, too. Luckily, I’ve already got some friends in mind to be my ‘victims’ so I know various stuff will be in good hands.
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I used a combination of trashing stuff, freecycling, and selling on Craig’s List. The rest was split between my parent’s house, a fairly small storage locker, and a few friends’ houses.
“Anyone who has blown up a Death Star knows how important it is to stay on target.”
I’ve blown up a few in my day, so I know *exactly* what you mean. lol
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All of your advice is spot on. I’ve found selling stuff to be a giant pain in the ass and I’m more prone to give things away or trash them than bother scraping $20. If I can’t find a charity within a day, its thrown out or given away on my blog. I do recommend finding an appropriate facility for electronics recycling. There’s one across the street from my work, so it’s handy.
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