My Rest-of-my-life Project
 

One of my big fears has always been that I would be my mother, shuffling from room to room of my house with my walker, crying, while other people decided what to do with my stuff. Watching someone chuck my "treasures" in a black trash bag.

So my big plan (you can laugh now) was: after I retire, I'll start working on getting rid of stuff, making decisions, labeling, etc.

Well, guess what? I was going to retire at 65-68, and have PLENTY of time to do that before I started to lose my physical capabilities and my marbles. Here I am 61, less capabilities and marbles, retired on disability almost 3 years ago, facing a monumental task that I thought I'd have 20 more years to work on.

Am I REALLY that stupid? Did I REALLY think I could plan my future, all nice and neat, count on twenty good years after I retired? Hellooooo, anybody home in there?

So that's my big project. I can't promise myself that I'm going to get rid of everything. I'm not quite ready to admit that I'll never use my craft stuff, my fabric, yarn, etc. or read all my books again. But at least I'll peck away at it, slap labels on stuff: "yarn", "newspaper clippings", "size 8 slacks"....

....with the spare spoons I have left every day. Ha.

Oh, B2Y, I am laughing my butt off! I have clothes from size 8 to 16!! lol.

I'm moving soon so I have to decide what to throw away in the next three months :eek::eek:.

I have enough craft supplies for three lifetimes :D. I don't know how to let go off this stuff. I might NEED it someday, ROTFL!! If I just label everything, it would still take me at least year so I gotta start tossing stuff out or sell it, which sounds like entirely too much like work to me. I don’t have that many spoons. :). I will also donate stuff that really is usable to Goodwill.

I'm thinking I need someone else to help me sort through stuff and give me reality check :rolleyes::o.

It makes me sad for all of us that we have to do this so early but I totally commend you for being proactive!

I come from a long line of planners aka control freaks, my great Grandmother put masking tape on the back of everything with the person's name she wanted to have it although I think she waited until she was a little wifty because some of it like 3 chairs to one person and the 4th to another didn't make good sense but we worked it out. My mother is in the process now of organizing and downsizing.

Of course my reply wouldn't be complete until I suggested selling some things on either craigs list, ebay or having a yard sale. :D

After we moved my inlaws to independent living, DH and I spent weeks, literally, going through their attic...wow, there was so much stuff that we tossed...she still asks, "What happened to my turkey platter?" or "Who took my nice crocheted sweaters?" I tell her this granddaughter or that grandson took this or that...most of the stuff was cracked, old, and even had mildew...

So after we went through that experience, we decided to at least organize the stuff in the crawl space...we tossed a lot of stuff, but we still have toys from the kids, as well as books I read to them as tykes...so we got a bunch of rubbermaid tubs and organized things, labeled them, and now the kids at least won't have to go through that mess.
We also organized our Christmas decorations, spring/summer decorations, etc. Makes it a lot easier to find things...

Now, it's time for our closets...we still have games on the kids' closet shelves that haven't been touched for years. I'm going to donate them to shelters that I know of in the area...and my DD's prom dresses? I'm giving her until the new year to take them, or I'll donate those to places that collect prom dresses/shoes etc for young ladies who are financially strapped and can't afford to buy these things.

I'm planning a garage sale on 9/17. I've cleaned out closets and drawers. Priced most of it, too (doing it a little at a time really helps).

I'm not so much concerned about who gets what.....I only have two boys and I highly doubt they'll be fighting over my Vera Bradley purses! I just like things to be minimalized and organized. I hate clutter. When I stopped working I decided that 37 pair of shoes was just sinful....especially when there are people who'd love to have just one! Most of my working wardrobe was donated to a local charity here in Lawrenceville (The Quinn House). Someone who's looking for a job could get some excellent use out of those clothes. They're a wonderful organization.....check them out! http://www.thequinnhouse.com/

I've already had one garage sale....a couple of years ago. I've managed to accumulate enough stuff to have another one. :o :rolleyes: This will be my last garage sale. Mark my words. There is nothing I need that I don't already have. If I get anything new it's going to be a waterproof house for my outside kitties to sleep in during the winter. Or a scratching post/house for my inside kitties. I get just as much enjoyment out of watching them enjoy these things as they do.

I totally understand the need to feel you have things "under control", B2Y. I feel so much better and relaxed when my house is neat, clean and organized. I think I'm the total opposite of those hoarders that are shown on TV. I've already got the Sunday paper in the recycle bin by 10 AM on Sunday! :o

JodyLee, I'm not TELLING you what size range I have!!

Jules, I've been doing ebay for a while, though they keep changing things NOT to my advantage. Yard sale is pretty much out. The last one I did just about killed me, and I made about $40. Craigslist...probably not. We don't have any "big" items, in other words, anything worth having strangers coming to the house willy-nilly to look at stuff.

Debbie, I'm also big on Rubbermaid-type tubs, Container Store clear boxes, etc. In fact, I'm a bit obsessed with containers. I WANT to be organized! Or at least, I want my kids' "inheritance" to be organized!

I'm like a giant wishbone. I don't like clutter and have too much; but I'm still in denial about what I will someday be able to use again. It's like losing weight, I guess. You have to be ready, or it won't work.

Great idea, Blessings..:cool:

Let's see where I am....I'm 70 and not too sure about having 20 years, but I've been retired since 62 (DH's bookkeeper) and Most of my and DH's treasures have already been given to DD, DSS #1 and DSS #2.

I put DD on a Survivor Home Deed. Have all my savings and checking/with kids as beneficiarys. My furniture, clothes and car are old and not worth much. I have a few family keepsakes in closets, basement, attic..etc. (I don't know why I kept some of them) so Kids can keep and pitch at will...I don't want to ruin all their fun..:D

When I had my garage ramp put in I had the garage cleaned out and when I had my bathroom and floors re-done, I cleaned a bunch of junk out of the house. I gave DD all my gold and diamond jewelry, gave DS's DH's jewelry and gave all of my special cookware to the Chef, DSonIL..:D

Sooooooo, the funstuff will be here for the kids and grandkids to rumage through, to pitch or pinch. My will says that DD gets half and DSS's get half of junk. The money part is already settled and my only DD gets most of that.

All done..:D:p:D

I've got a long way to go, but I'm working on it! I've taken pictures of some of the family heirlooms...no $$ value, but want my kids to know that the pillow cover was made by third great grandmother, or the portrait is of great Uncle Lester, etc.

Same with the photos. If they look at my carefully labeled photos of ancestors and decide they don't want them, fine--I'll be long gone and won't care! But at least they can make informed choices and know what they're throwing away!

I'm storing a LOT of stuff here for my son (no more room), my daughter (doesn't have a house yet) and granddaughter (same), but I don't care about that. If I croak or have to go in a nursing home, it's their stuff and THEY can figure it out!

I just threw away an old guitar case that I haven't used in ten years and probably won't EVER put my guitar in it. I think it smells like basement anyway, so off it goes! Yay! One big item in the garage waiting for the trash guy.

Watch one episode of Hoarders and you will be good to go!!

We are approaching 50, no kids, downsized to a smaller house and have VERY little unnecessary stuff. And we have a trust so that all the stuff worth anything has been addressed. I retired on disability almost a decade ago

It feels good to 'travel lightly'

good luck!

The ironic thing is that my friends who are streamlined and uncluttered call ME to ask, "Do you have a shoebox...some bias tape...a cardboard tube...a picture frame...a navy blue size medium turtleneck...etc...."

I'd like to strike middle ground between saying "no", and saying "yes" before they get beyond "Do you have...?" :D

I've never done Ebay, don't really know how. I'm sure my daughter would help me, they routinely sell things on it. My daughter here in town with me insists I do a yard sale every 2-3 years. She does most of the work. Last one I made over $300, well worth it. She gets tired of trying to find things in my storage rooms so we have a yard sale.

Thanks, B2Y :). You got me a little bit motivated. I'm going to start with my jewelry armoire. It is full of mostly junk!! I'll take it one tiny step at a time. I refuse to part with my kids baby teeth though :o.

When thinking of what one might do with old cards, wrapping paper, school supplies, ribbons, craft supplies think of a local nursing home or retirement center. The one that my Mom lived in had a scrapbooking/card making session once a month. With all the things that are available you can use anything. Like I got a card today that was in a purple envelope. My Mom could have used that one envelope for many things. And when she finished with what she thought was all useable pieces she would have cut the final little pieces into confettit to put into a card. The ladies that do this class belong to a church that comes in once a month and everything they buy comes out of thier own pocket. Organizational things they can use. When we all got all of our things out of Moms apartment and all that was left we thought was trash, we invited these girls to come look through stuff before we threw it away and they had such a good time.

I'm an unsentimental minimalistic organizer by nature, married to a sappy disorganized hoarder-by-DNA. WWIII breaks out every time I try to sort and downsize! I will admit, I have gotten rid of things ( a FEW things!) that I later wished I had kept. But really! I don't see the need to hump around his boxed up undergrad textbooks, which weigh a freaking ton, through four moves!

We keep, at DH's insistence, old issues of Sports Illustrated, his Cub Scout uniform, his little league football helmet, every scribble the kids produce, every birthday card from anyone, anything that ever belonged to a relative or was given to us by a relative... you get the picture.

I have very little from my maternal grandmother, nothing at all from my paternal grandparents. From my dad, I have an old plaid shirt that I wear to do yardwork. From my sister, I have sheetmusic. Now when my mom dies, oh boy. She has 108 acres, a 2000 sq ft house, and 7 outbuildings crammed full of farm junk. My sister and I and our DH's will have soooo much fun.

I would rather spend all my money on doing fun things and traveling with my loved ones, making memories, rather than acquiring possessions, if I had the choice.

Blessings, you have a very healthy and motivated idea at work in your life.

Yes, your original post made me smile and laugh because you are right. We can't take any of this "stuff" with us. In our family we have become accustomed to reaching whatever point we feel is best and allowing relatives to identify that which they would like to have when we are gone. To the point of making lists and labeling the pieces with their names so there is no confusion.

Look around the home and how much "stuff" has been accumulated over the years we will never use, yet may be of benefit to someone else in need? In our home, if you haven't worn it in over a year or used it, we donate it to Amvets or whomever. The valuable and important items have already been determined and listed in our trust for the children in full agreement.

I do NOT under any circumstances wish my children to have to experience what I and my siblings endured having to go through 80+ years of "stuff" left in my parents home, room by room. Let's just say they never threw anything away as in how many plastic bags does a person really need on hand? Four trash cans full it a tad too much, don't you think?

So Blessings, I recommend you do it now while you can actually make the decisions and move the "stuff" out of your life someone else may benefit from using. Just make sure someone assist you with the massive task ahead of you and have fun in the process.