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I've always been a sentimental sort. I held on to items for the emotional attachment. I'm still disappointed that my year books are missing. Once when I was a kid, I kept all my bandages from a particularly bad scrape. I guess I wanted to see how many it would take by the time I healed? I think this goes to show that I'd be a prime candidate for hoarding.
I lived in the the same house with my ex-husband for... 11 years? The longer you're in one place, the easier it is to accumulate more and more clutter. But when I left, I took almost nothing. I had to start from scratch. It can be easy to go crazy with that (shopping for a new home), though, too. And then I discovered minimalism. I want to live on the road and I surely can't take everything with me! And keep stuff in storage... to what end? So I knew I needed to downsize.
Where is the "Living" space?
Photo Credit: nilexuk
After our first major downsizing of stuff and cutting back on "extra" bills, we realized we could fit into a smaller apartment. With those smaller bills, including rent, we figured out that we could afford for me to switch from full time to part time work. Each step along the way has meant more time together, whether it meant more money or less.
After minimizing down to a 200 square foot travel trailer and now back up to a 1300 square foot home, I think there is a little backlash. I find I'm hoarding extra jars for possible projects... just because I can. I'm still making an effort not to collect things we don't need, though. More stuff requires more time; time that I'd prefer to spend with my family.
Have you ever cut back on your stuff, your bills or your commitments to have more time?
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Thank you for visiting the Simply Living Blog Carnival cohosted by Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children, Laura at Authentic Parenting, Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy, and Joella at Fine and Fair. Read about how others are incorporating simple living into their lives by clearing out the clutter. We hope you will join us next month, as the Simply Living Blog Carnival focuses on Going Green!
- 7 Tips for Cutting the Toy Clutter - In a post at Natural Parents Network, Mandy offers easy and child-respectful ideas for downsizing your kids' growing mountains of toys.
- De-Cluttering and Moving to Minimalism - Laura from Authentic Parenting is actively trying to achieve a more balanced life by giving up the things in order to make room for more enjoyment.
- A Minimalist Clutter Bug - Destany at They Are All of Me writes about the daunting task of clearing away years of clutter brought on by disorganization and a dislike for throwing things away.
- The Pack Rat Stops Here - Mercedes at Project Procrastinot doesn't want her twins to inherit the pack rat legacy but is uncertain how to lead by example.
- Clutter Minimized - Jorje of Momma Jorje shares how minimizing different aspects of her life and household have changed her life.
- Uncluttering Childhood - Are fewer toys and books harmful for your child? Does simplifying the stuff in your life, merely mean faster clean up? Find out if "less" is truly "more" for parents and kids alike at Heart-Led Parenting.
- Lagom - Sustainablemum shares her family's search for balance in decluttering their home and their lives.
- Letting Go - Of Things and Thoughts - Amy W. at Me, Mothering, and Making it All Work rejoices in her ability to allow others to teach her to let go - of things and of thoughts.
- From Cluttered to Clutter Free - Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children discusses the changes she went through from growing up in a cluttered household to becoming a decluttering diva.
- Facing the emotional roadblocks of clearing clutter - We all have reasons we hold on tightly to our stuff. Lauren at Hobo Mama offers advice for breaking through those walls.
- Spring Cleaning with Freecycle - Amy at Anktangle shares how her spring cleaning ritual has become much more fun (and productive!) since she's embraced her local Freecycle community and all it stands for.
