to help someone else declutter and get rid of their excess, than it is to do your own?
I know the answer, because you have less attachment to the 'stuff'!
My mom, who is going to be 80 this year, has been complaining about her house for quite some time. Very small, and little storage space. She is frustrated that every time she wants something from a closet or cabinet, it is a major undertaking to get to what she wants.
I went up to simply help her organize her clothing better, and it turned into a complete purge.
She is very clean and organized, but too much stuff for a space, is just too much stuff for a space.
We weeded out a lot of old clothing not being worn, and some that was just beyond it's life. She was having a tendency to save boxes. I must have thrown out a dozen nice sturdy boxes, but they were empty and taking up space. She was saving them 'just in case I need them to store something later". She is better than that old lady who keeps every bread wrapper and margarine tub, but still, the boxes had to go.
Some of her nice decorative boxes that she uses for storage were only partially full. Wasted space. I condensed many of those, and stored like things together. She had multiple pieces of one set of something in several different boxes. Makes sense to put everything from a set in one place.
She had been using her oven and dishwasher to store pots and pans (very small kitchen), and I knew I could condense that stuff to open up the oven entirely. She did battle me on that one, until I helped her to see that one lady, living alone, who almost never cooks anymore, doesn't need three large stock pots, and an additional 5 lids that fit nothing she currently owns (she tossed the pans years ago, but never got rid of their lids). We took all the lock and lock sets, and kept only the big storage pieces in use, and those sets that nest inside each other with the lids on. The others went, as they take up too much space to store.
And the home decor storage closet was purged as well. Tried to make it more about keeping things that were multi functional (lanterns that can be changed inside for the seasons, rather than lit pumpkins only good for one season). Anything crazed, shipped, cracked or just blah looking went as well.
It was easier to do than when I look at my own stuff. We talked about what we should just stop buying, as it makes no sense to get rid of 7 of any given thing, still have four more for current use,then bring more of the same into the house on the next shopping trip. We talked about the reality of age, and just how much longer we might live, and just how much need of or use we will get out of having too much of any given thing.
I never would tell her what to do or demand what she must get rid of what she can keep, but simply asked her what has more value to her, a clean and usable space, or having more things. I'm a firm believer that if you don't mind keeping, cleaning, storing and living with your 'things' then it is all good. When it becomes an issue is when you are frustrated with the look, the work, the inability to access what you need/want easily etc., then it is time to make some changes.
Her front porch is loaded with what will probably be a small pick up truck load, and I'll be bringing it down to add to all I cleaned out this winter, and when the weather breaks, we will have one big garage sale. Anything left (and there is usually plenty) will go to the thrift store in town.
It was really good to see the progress we made, and it was really less painful for her to part with many things, than I thought it would be. I expected to have a real fight on my hands, and there were only a few things we disagreed about, but I let her be the final judge of what she wanted to keep or move on.
I think we could probably do it all again in a few months, as this kind of thing gets easier to do when you part with things, and after some time has passed, you don't regret it one bit, but actually are happy with the changes.
Now, who volunteers to come be my impartial purger, and help me pare down my own house ever more?
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