How Do You Simplify Your Life?

[Gvac]

<p>First off, I'm going to admit that I'm a bit of a clean freak and
clutter makes me feel like the walls are closing in.&nbsp; Yet no
matter how hard I try, I seem to amass things on a daily basis.&nbsp;
From clothing to CDs to magazines to mail to DVDs to...well, you get
the picture.&nbsp; On top of this, my attic and basement are full of
boxes of stuff like old trophies and childhood memorabilia and I can't
take it anymore.&nbsp; </p><p>Anyone have any suggestions on living a
simple, clutter-free existence?&nbsp; I'm about ready to sell all my
worldly posessions and join a monastery. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

[Death Metal Moe]

<p>I could never live a Spartan life with nothing but the essentials.&nbsp; I'd go insane.</p><p>Love your clutter GVAC.&nbsp; But if you need to get rid of stuff, Ebay anything collectable or valuable and throw the shit out.</p>

[curtoid]

You just need to be bold, bro, and get rid of it. The stuff you get rid of will make you appreciate the stuff you keep more. Throw it out - give it away (books/cds/dvds=library) - sell it on e-bay. Thin the herd to your essentials. I'm constantly on this battle. You will still have plenty of shit at the end of it, but it won't feel as stifeling, and next time you're ready to buy the next must own DVD or CD, you can ask yourself if this is something that in 6 months or a year that you will get rid of. For every one thing you bring in, you should also get rid of one thing to make room for it - TWO if you want to be really ballsy. With the childhood stuff, aside from pictures, I think everything is fair game - if you have 7 trophies for the same thing, maybe all you really need is one. If you have a dozen different things that bring back the same basic memory (girlfriend, summer camp, best friend), then maybe all you really need is two. Like I said, by making this little Sophie's choices you make the stuff that you hold onto worth more to you, and will be able to have room for new stuff.&nbsp;&nbsp;

[Tall_James]

It's time for a good spring cleaning GVAC.&nbsp; A semi-annual ritual cleansing.&nbsp; You'll feel better afterwards.

[Marc with a c]

put it in a pinata and bring it April 1st

[Bulldogcakes]

<p><img width="280" height="210" border="0" src="http://bostondirtdogs.boston.com/Headline_Archives/ebay.jpg" /></p><p>Or</p><p><img width="200" height="200" border="0" src="http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/146696_front200.jpg" />&nbsp;</p>

[sr71blackbird]

I got rid a tons of shit when I moved to my new apartment.&nbsp; I have collected more stuff since moving in here, and Im sure if I moved again, Id toss a lot of shit again.&nbsp; I kind of make pretend once in a while that the house caught fire and I &quot;had to throw stuff out&quot; and I throw things away that I do have feelings for, and I usually dont look back.&nbsp; Right now Im in need a &quot;spring cleaning&quot;.&nbsp; Most people I know say that &quot;if they havent used it in 6 months, toss it&quot;&nbsp; I think thats a good way to look at it.&nbsp;

[JPMNICK]

<p>if i have not used it, thought about it, or needed it in 12-18 months its GONE</p><p>i have no old trophies, sports stuff or really anything besides pictures. That stuff just does not interest me. i get rid of all my old clohtes and either give them to family or donate them. </p><p>I do not buy DVD's anymore because I found that i rarely if ever go back and rewatch something. and you need to rewatch it 4-5 times to make it worth buying it and not just renting it. </p><p>I only subscribe to 2 magazines, and after i read them I toss them. </p><p>Take all your CD's and rip them to your hard drive. You DO NOT need to convert them. they can be the exact copy, just on your computer. granted it takes massive amounts of storage space and costs money but you get 2 things from it. 1 - you lose the clutter and you can sell them to make some money back, and also you do not have to worry about scracthign them. You can also reburn them to a CD whenever you want and bring it with you. </p><p>JUST grab boxes of shit and throw it out. </p>

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

<p>I've been in my place for 15 years. I have so much crap it's not funny. I rent a storage locker for all the excess. </p><p>Oddly enough I had NOTHING when I moved in. </p><p>I need to purge.</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<p>i keep the house pretty orderly as far as storage. we have a 'bulk waste' site and they take almost everything from motor oil to metal, concrete, wood, etc...&nbsp;&nbsp; we've been in this house for almost 12 years and have had at least 6 garage sales. whatever don't get sold gets thrown out.&nbsp; i have a small 4x8 trailer so i've taken swing sets, furniture, lawn mowers, concrete, computers, etc</p><p>you just shake your head at all the stuff you buy over the years. you hardly remember bringing all this stuff into your house</p>

[WhistlePig]

Donate a bunch of your old shit to charity and keep track of what you give away.
We cleaned our closets last year (8 HUGE bags of clothes) and wrote off $2,000 on
our taxes this year. That was worth it.

[PapaBear]

<p>Never throw shit away. Use creative hiding. You'd be amazed at how much stuff you can hide under a bed (and still be somewhat organized) using cheap Rubbermaid containers. It's not just under the bed either. You can stick these things all over the place.</p><p>When you're deciding where to stash something, think about the last time you used it. The more time it's been since the last time you used it, the further back you bury it. I have about 3 rooms of stuff in one VERY small room. I can get to just about anything in 3 steps or less. I can get to 80% of it without leaving my chair.</p><p>Keep a fire extinguisher around, though. All that stuff in a small space (compounded by the Rubbermaid containers) = firetrap.</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by PapaBear on 3-13-06 @ 3:16 AM</span>

[Mike Teacher]

<p>'Youve got to Chuck some things, in this Shit Life...'</p><p>ok we'll see who gets that movie line...</p><p>Anyway, you really do have to learn to leave things and Move On. </p><p>I had an album collection they had to truck away when I sold it to the local store. Gone, dont miss it a bit. 2000 Laserdiscs at one point, all gone. 10 years of collecting Radio promo CDs/posters, signed abums, concert wear; I chucked it/ebayed it. </p><p>Old notes, books, colections, you chuck it, it lightens the soul. Some religions/socities practice the giving away of things, the shunning of earthy posessions, which I think is a wonderful thing, but if they think they're geting my laptop they can pound sand up their ass with a hammer.</p>

[PapaBear]

<strong>Mike Teacher</strong> wrote:<br /><p>Old notes, books, colections, you chuck it, it lightens the soul. Some religions/socities practice the giving away of things, the shunning of earthy posessions, which I think is a wonderful thing, but if they think they're geting my laptop they can pound sand up their ass with a hammer.</p><p>I really miss all of my &quot;soul cleansing&quot; stuff. Photos, writings, and personal stuff... </p><p>People have asked me about &quot;regret&quot;. I don't regret any of the actions in my life.&nbsp;What I do regret is, the disposal of the records of the actions of my life. That's why I don't dispose of anything now. There are so many photos, writings, and objects that could easily fit in a corner, that are dearly missed.</p>

[Recyclerz]

<p>You could try the Anthony Cumia technique -</p><p>Get married to a woman you don't like and wait for a bit.&nbsp; That should take care of at least half of your stuff. <img src="http://www.ronfez.net/messageboard/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/dry.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Justice4all]

<p><strong><font color="#ffffff" size="1"><font color="#330000">How Do You Simplify Your Life?</font> </font></strong></p><p><strong><font color="#000000" size="1">By cutting out all negative drama.</font></strong></p>

[Jennitalia]

<p>what justice said.&nbsp; </p><p>i seem to move every couple of years, and it's amazing to me how much crap i end up throwing out each time.&nbsp; i'm in the process of moving&nbsp; in with my boyfriend, and he has mostly newer/nicer stuff, so most of my crap, like pots &amp; pans, furniture, is going to get tossed, along with other crap that i have like clothes, toys, stuffed animals...&nbsp; it's going mostly to charity, so i don't feel as bad in getting rid of everything, but it still feels like i'm getting rid of pieces of me.&nbsp; it's probably for the best, though.&nbsp; </p>

[bobrobot]

<p><strong><font color="#000099">Save everything and curate the museum of yer life!!!</font></strong></p><p><img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y46/bobogolem/clutter.jpg" border="0" /></p>

[ShelleBink]

<p>My contribution to the thread:</p><p>I actually become MORE depressed if I'm in an environment that is messy ((aka, my room at home)).&nbsp; I've found that after I clean either that room or my dorm room ((I have no roommate to yell at me to do so)) I often feel better.&nbsp; </p><p>How I do it: I enjoy using clear plastic containers.&nbsp; From the Container Store ((ok, kidding, but that was for Snoogans)).&nbsp; Between that and watching shows like Clean Sweep... I kinda adopted the &quot;Save it, Toss it, Sell it&quot; idea when it comes to my junk.&nbsp; eBay is awesome for this because not only are you getting rid of your shit, you can make a lil dough on it too ((depending on what it is)).&nbsp; Worse comes to worse, you can always donate most things, either to the Salvation Army or to the Veterans Assoc.</p><p>&nbsp;K, I'm not sure how much I went off on a tangent there.<br /></p>

[JerseyRich]

<p><img width="332" height="500" border="0" src="http://www.psymon.com/walden/images/Walden-First_Edition-2x.jpg" /></p><p>Might I suggest a bit of reading for you?&nbsp;</p>

[bobrobot]

<strong>JerseyRich</strong> wrote:<br /><p><img height="500" src="http://www.psymon.com/walden/images/Walden-First_Edition-2x.jpg" width="332" border="0" /></p><p>Might I suggest a bit of reading for you?&nbsp;</p><p><strong><font color="#000099">When I lived in Belmont, I usta go to Walden Pond and put some of my extra stuff in Thoreau's cabin! ha ha ha... shhhhh... don't tell!!!</font></strong></p>

[JerseyRich]

Bobo. I want a crazy picture of me and you like the one of you and Dave, if you come up for April Fool's.<br />

[SatCam]

Very interesting you brought this up, GVAC, cuz I just made a huge dent in the crap building up in my room yesterday.

I've always had a real tough time getting rid of stuff. When I moved a few years back, I made no effort to thin my possessions. I pretty much packed up everything the way it was and when I unpacked my shit I put it back the way I had it.

My problem isn't cleanliness... I keep my shit nice and organized and I make sure everything is nice and neat before I go to sleep each night. I probably am to the point of obsessive-compulsiveness with a neat appearence because I "know" that if my stuff is a mess, I'll be depressed.

My problem is the sheer amount of stuff I have. I now understand why I can't get rid of stuff (I think it has "sentimental value") so I know that I should throw out everything I won't need as soon as I get it so I don't feel that way about it. That still leaves all the old stuff I never dealt with. A lot of stuff are papers that I won't need, I just "need a record of". I've always thought about giving stuff to other people, especially in my family, so it stays around, but I resolved that the worst thing I could do is contribute to the clutter of other people.

So anyway, yesterday I was had some time to go through pretty much ALL the shit in my bedroom. I filled up a garbage bag full of papers and garbage I had laying around. I was able to put all my keep-able papers in one place, locked up away from the world, nice and organized. I still have a stack (maybe 7" thick) of photos I've been meaning to organize for around 5 or 6 years now. I still don't know what to do with them. I also kept my magazines and some posters I've gotten. I KNOW I won't read these things again, but I can't bring myself to throw them out (maybe because I payed for them).

Last night after I finished I began to have regrets, thinking "hey, I could just put everything back the way it was and we could forget this ever happened." I decided I should stick with it. Today I reflected on it and damn did it feel good to seal the deal by throwing out the trash bag. I have no regrets anymore.

<br /><br /><br /><br />
Holy fucking h that was long. I'm stepping out of reality for another year.

[sr71blackbird]

<p><img height="699" src="http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_sep2005/JunkHouse.jpg" width="580" border="0" /></p><p>Shoot me if I get like this!</p>

[jax]

My biggest problem is the pile up of&nbsp;stuff&nbsp;I&nbsp;haven't had a chance to read -&nbsp;magazines, clipped articles etc.&nbsp; They sit in a pile until the newspaper stars turning&nbsp;yellow.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I always think I'll have this big chunk of extra time&nbsp;that never happens.&nbsp;

[bobrobot]

Bobo. I want a crazy picture of me and you like the one of you and Dave, if you come up for April Fool's. <p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><font color="#000099">Sounds good to me, we can break the world record for lookin crazy!!!</font></strong></p><p><img height="386" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y46/bobogolem/torwijohn.jpg" width="480" border="0" /></p><p>Here's the previous record holders!</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by bobogolem on 3-13-06 @ 6:53 PM</span>

[Gvac]

<p>Wow, a whole lotta helpful suggestions and advice.&nbsp; I thank you all.</p><p>I've
decided to listen to some of you and begin purging ASAP.&nbsp; No
longer will I wait for that mythical garage sale that never seems to
materialize.&nbsp; I found a Veteran's home nearby that accepts damn
near <em>anything.</em>&nbsp; Lots of old books, clothing, and CDs will be making the trip this weekend. &nbsp;</p><p>As
far as the so-called &quot;sentimental&quot; items like all of my old hockey
trophies, I've decided that they're obviously not all that important to
me if they just sit in a box in my attic so they've got a date with the
dump.&nbsp; The semi-valuable things like old baseball cards and comics
from my youth are going to a local collector's shop where I'll take
whatever they want to give me for them.&nbsp; I know I'd make more
money selling them on my own on eBay or something, but at this point I
don't want to procrastinate any further.&nbsp; They're outta here!</p><p>Again,
thanks for all the tips and the kick in the ass I needed to get this
done.&nbsp; I can hardly wait to begin my new life of austerity.&nbsp;</p>

[bobrobot]

<p>ÿ</p><p>ÿ</p><p>ÿ</p><strong><font color="#000099">my new life of austerity</font></strong> <p>ÿ</p><p><img title="fakir" height="360" alt="fakir" src="http://www.yoganga.com/paul/wp-content/yoke.jpg" width="231" border="0" /></p>

<span class=post_edited>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by bobogolem on 3-13-06 @ 8:30 PM</span>

[Billy Staples]

<p><img height="113" src="http://plumpolice.com/ipw-web/gallery/albums/album06/Fentanyl_Patch.thumb.jpg" width="150" border="0" />&nbsp;I recommend this stuff, Fentanyl,&nbsp;to simplify your life....give it to Mikey, Mikey likes it</p><p>comes in a lollipop form for faster acting!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="254" src="http://designer-drugs.com/lollipop.jpg" width="399" border="0" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;orlastly&nbsp; To date, over 12 different analogues of fentanyl have been produced clandestinely and identified in the U.S. drug traffic. The biological effects of the fentanyls are indistinguishable from those of <a title="Heroin" href="http://www.ronfez.net/wiki/Heroin">heroin</a>, with the exception that the fentanyls may be hundreds of times more potent.</p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fentanyl">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fentanyl</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; candy....goood</p><p>(itches included at no charge)</p>

[FezPaul]

<strong>Billy Staples</strong> wrote:<br /><p><img height="113" src="http://plumpolice.com/ipw-web/gallery/albums/album06/Fentanyl_Patch.thumb.jpg" width="150" border="0" />&nbsp;I recommend this stuff, Fentanyl,&nbsp;to simplify your life....give it to Mikey, Mikey likes it</p><p>comes in a lollipop form for faster acting!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img height="254" src="http://designer-drugs.com/lollipop.jpg" width="399" border="0" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;orlastly&nbsp; To date, over 12 different analogues of fentanyl have been produced clandestinely and identified in the U.S. drug traffic. The biological effects of the fentanyls are indistinguishable from those of <a title="Heroin" href="http://www.ronfez.net/wiki/Heroin">heroin</a>, with the exception that the fentanyls may be hundreds of times more potent.</p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fentanyl">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fentanyl</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; candy....goood</p><p>(itches included at no charge)</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This message was edited by Earlshog on 03-27-06 @ 6:32 pm</p>

[Gvac]

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr width="100%" size="2" /><span class="postbody">This message was edited by Earlshog on 03-27-06 @ 6:32 pm</span><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr width="100%" size="2" /><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He's onto you again Billy.&nbsp;</p>

[Billy Staples]

<strong>Gvac</strong> wrote:<br /><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr width="100%" size="2" /><span class="postbody">This message was edited by Earlshog on 03-27-06 @ 6:32 pm</span> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr width="100%" size="2" /><p>&nbsp;</p><p>He's onto you again Billy.&nbsp;</p><p>he could have at least fixed my spacing error....orleastly</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>if your gonna keep editing my post earlshog and I don't know how you do it, please at least correct my rare errors</p>