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[kaydee50]

We are selling our home in NV and taking the "important" stuff to our 2 bedroom condo in Chicago.  Fortunately, the condo has a good amount of storage space but we are still "purging" a lot.  I'm using underneath the bed for luggage, out of season clothing.  Otherwise, I'm still figuring out where I'll put stuff and have already warned DH that if there is no room for it, out it goes.  Most of the stuff we haven't used anyway in years and have been keeping it as a reminder of our "prior lives"!!!!

Definitely a big difference between "need" and "want."  

[Suzeecat]

I have a 1200 sq. ft. condo with no basement, attic or other designated storage.  I'm serious when I say I considered it a benefit when I moved because it forces me to keep my "stuff" to a minimum.  I have an attached one-car garage and found unexpected storage when I hung ceiling hanging racks.  Seasonal things that I need to put away for part of the year go in plastic bins up there, as well as extras from Costco (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.)  I use those vacuum bags to store bedding that I rotate and those can either go in a closet or under the bed. I like to have different comforters and pillows to change out, and have learned to shop for duvet covers instead of comforters, since they take up a lot less space to store. 

[Mominohio]

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@wagirl wrote:

I have a rolling storage shelves  in my pantry. And got baskets that fit each of the 4 shelves; some are bigger and others are smaller for the different sized things I have in there.. I just roll out the shelves to get something and roll them back in. I still need to organize it  better tho--but I do have my Instant Pot on it as well as a basket for the accessories. Works so well and I doubled my storage space.

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@wagirl

Great idea!

Oh to have a real pantry! 

[Mominohio]

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@Sooner wrote:

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@dex wrote:

Other than clothing I just don’t buy extras.I have 3sets of towels,one set of sheets and one comforter for each bed.I discovered that I forget about the stuff I store so now I just keep what’s necessary.I have Christmas and seasonal items in my linen and storage closet.I display my towels in the bathroom so they are handy to change out and bedding is washed and stored right where it belongs on the beds.

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@dex  You have the real answer.  Also, think about how easy it would be to replace something.  There's always TJ Maxx and Tuesday Morning if unexpected guests pop up once in 5 years.

The only secret I have is upsize your house and get rid of half of what you own.  Works out pretty well!  

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It just isn't realistic to me, to live with the bare minimum. 

I can't imaging only owning one set of sheets or a couple of sets of towels. 

When it comes to linens in particular, the quality over the decades has fallen tremendously, so when I find really good, I want to be sure I have more than the basic amount needed for one week. 

Same for clothing and other things we use daily. I'm too picky about style/fit/quality to chance finding something on the fly when very few I own need replaced. 

[Mominohio]

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@jlkz wrote:

One of the least used spaces: the back of sliding doors on closets.  Mount single or double rod towel racks on the door with no obstructions....measure your stuff to hang to determine if 2 or 3 racks work.

In the long coat closets: I use racks with coat hooks on the short inside walls where there is room from the shoulders of regular rod hanging coats and jackets.  These racks are hung higher than the closet rod.  Good for hats, scarves, umbrellas.

Below these racks I use 3-M hooks for miscellaneous stuff like tote bags, briefcases, etc.

When you use the 3-M hooks, use a higher weight bearing hook just in case.  

 Caution:  I have had one of these hooks for a wall clock and came home to find that the hook gave way, the clock fell and there was a small chunk of the wall on the floor.  Granted, the set up was a few years old....but still !

 In the kitchen, I use smaller hooks on the inside of the lower cabinets near the sink to hang those things you need in a hurry: cutting boards, flat strainer, vegetable brush, flat grater, etc.

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Using the inside of doors is a great idea. 

Most of our closets are the bifold doors, so this won't work, unfortunately. Our closets with the bifold doors are so narrow, the doors barely clear the stuff hanging on the rail anyway. 

I do have a couple of closets this might work on though, with regular doors. Thanks for the idea!

[Mominohio]

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@Sooner wrote:

Also, I think that in reality some people have a much higher tolerance for "stuff" that others do.  I think that's your real answer.

It's like the angle of repose--the angle at which a pile of rocks will stack up without falling.  I think there is different "angle of repose" that each of us has for stuff in our lives. 

How much time are you willing to spend on stuff?  Cleaning it, sorting it, dragging it around, boxing it up, paying to store it, looking at it. . .  Does it cause you stress, does it interfere with your life?  All part of the equation. 

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Agree!

It does differ for each of us, and differs for us at different times in our lives. 

The fact remains that we need a certain amount of things to do what we do each day (get dressed, cook and consume and store food, take a shower, do laundry, enjoy a craft or hobby) and that stuff has to go somewhere. 

I thought maybe rather than be a back and forth about how much stuff, it would be helpful to find tips and tricks for storing things, regardless of how much one finds essential or necessary.

[Mominohio]

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@Suzeecat wrote:

I have a 1200 sq. ft. condo with no basement, attic or other designated storage.  I'm serious when I say I considered it a benefit when I moved because it forces me to keep my "stuff" to a minimum.  I have an attached one-car garage and found unexpected storage when I hung ceiling hanging racks.  Seasonal things that I need to put away for part of the year go in plastic bins up there, as well as extras from Costco (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.)  I use those vacuum bags to store bedding that I rotate and those can either go in a closet or under the bed. I like to have different comforters and pillows to change out, and have learned to shop for duvet covers instead of comforters, since they take up a lot less space to store. 

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@Suzeecat That whole duvet covers vs full comforters really makes great sense. This is the kind of thinking I was after in making the post, and something I had never considered, but you would still be able to change out your bedding doing it your way, with considerably less storage.

Smart thinking!

[Sooner]

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@Mominohio wrote:

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@Sooner wrote:

Also, I think that in reality some people have a much higher tolerance for "stuff" that others do.  I think that's your real answer.

It's like the angle of repose--the angle at which a pile of rocks will stack up without falling.  I think there is different "angle of repose" that each of us has for stuff in our lives. 

How much time are you willing to spend on stuff?  Cleaning it, sorting it, dragging it around, boxing it up, paying to store it, looking at it. . .  Does it cause you stress, does it interfere with your life?  All part of the equation. 

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Agree!

It does differ for each of us, and differs for us at different times in our lives. 

The fact remains that we need a certain amount of things to do what we do each day (get dressed, cook and consume and store food, take a shower, do laundry, enjoy a craft or hobby) and that stuff has to go somewhere. 

I thought maybe rather than be a back and forth about how much stuff, it would be helpful to find tips and tricks for storing things, regardless of how much one finds essential or necessary.

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@Mominohio  It's sharing thoughts and ideas.  I find it very helpful to see and think about how others approach problems and how and why they deal with them.  

Discussion is always back and forth, and usually includes philosophies along with facts.  I enjoy seeing people's reasoning on issues. It helps me change, grow and reconsider, which to me is what life is all about. 

[riley1]

I was never a "keeper" of stuff. So, when we moved, the new house has no basement or attic - yea, even less stuff to have. I tossed or donated furniture, rugs, dishes, etc before we moved.

I pared down the linens to two sets per bed, a couple extra blankets (in case someone gets cold), and a couple sets of towels for each bathroom.

No extra dishes, no china or crystal - just my everyday dishes and pots/pans that are used on a regular basis.

[Sooner]

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@riley1 wrote:

I was never a "keeper" of stuff. So, when we moved, the new house has no basement or attic - yea, even less stuff to have. I tossed or donated furniture, rugs, dishes, etc before we moved.

I pared down the linens to two sets per bed, a couple extra blankets (in case someone gets cold), and a couple sets of towels for each bathroom.

No extra dishes, no china or crystal - just my everyday dishes and pots/pans that are used on a regular basis.

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@riley1 I do have extra dishes that I love and use, but a LOT of the pots and pans have been culled recently.  I am not missing them as much as I thought I would.  But I am like @chickenbutt and have let's say "more Le Creuset" than I really need.  If "need" came into play on that topic!  LOL!!!