# Preparing to down size and move as retirement looms.



## Myquest55 (Jan 17, 2017)

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7910...email&utm_content=gallery16&newsletterId=4533

or go to Houzz.com - the title is:  _Room of the Day: Couple Downsizes to a Condo Home in Stages
_
I came across this article from my Houzz e-mailed newsletter today.  Reading about their process was interesting.  We do not have the luxury of being able to rent storage units or a trial condo and I do not want to have to move twice BUT reading about their process was helpful as we begin to sort through all our stuff.  We will have to pay to move our things from the southeast to the northeast so we need to pare down BEFORE we have to pay by the pound.  Our sons have pretty much taken what they want already so we are slowly going through the things we really need.  I am hoping that between Craigslist, Next Door, eBay and local thrift shops or Habitat for Humanity donations, we can clear out.


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## Carla (Jan 17, 2017)

I've been working on that for some time. I find things I forgot I had, forgot I saved, can't imagine why I saved, it goes on and on, doesn't it? Good luck with your downsizing. What would probably really work is to look at what you really need then get rid of the rest. That as opposed to taking piece by piece and evaluating everything. I get stuck in that--well you never know position.


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## Butterfly (Jan 17, 2017)

Carla said:


> I've been working on that for some time. I find things I forgot I had, forgot I saved, can't imagine why I saved, it goes on and on, doesn't it? Good luck with your downsizing. What would probably really work is to look at what you really need then get rid of the rest. That as opposed to taking piece by piece and evaluating everything. I get stuck in that--well you never know position.



Carla, I get stuck in that same you never know position.  Then I stand there and think "well . . . ." and sometimes put the thing back, even though I know in my head I'll never use the thing again.  I struggle to get past that.


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## steelcitiesgray (Jan 17, 2017)

Myquest55, Interesting article, thanks for posting it.


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 17, 2017)

I used to be concerned with the _you never knows _until I saw a comment from a person on another forum that said if it costs less than $XX.XX let it go and buy another one if it turns out you were wrong.  Each person needs to decide the cut off point but I think it is great advice for all of the little things that hide in the closets, kitchen cupboards, etc...  I also think back to the days in my first apartment when I had nothing.  I still managed to put together a meal, have something to wear, find a place for everyone to sit and sleep, etc...  I also remember that in those days I had a lot less money, a lot less stuff and a lot more fun, LOL!!!

Good luck!!!


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## jujube (Jan 17, 2017)

Aunt Bea said:


> I used to be concerned with the _you never knows _until I saw a comment from a person on another forum that said if it costs less than $XX.XX let it go and buy another one if it turns out you were wrong.  Each person needs to decide the cut off point but I think it is great advice for all of the little things that hide in the closets, kitchen cupboards, etc...  I also think back to the days in my first apartment when I had nothing.  I still managed to put together a meal, have something to wear, find a place for everyone to sit and sleep, etc...  I also remember that in those days I had a lot less money, a lot less stuff and a lot more fun, LOL!!!
> 
> Good luck!!!



I with you on that.  It took a long time, but I finally came to the realization that I don't NEED four identical ladles and to stop the rationalization that if my ladle, for some reason, _breaks_, I can go out and buy _another_ ladle......I don't need to _stockpile_ them.  I mean, even if the Zombie Apocalypse comes, there _will_ be ladles. 

Substitute "black tennis shoes", "extra vacuum sweepers" (I have four of them....I'm still working on "letting go"), "red sweaters", ad nauseam, and you get the picture.  I worked at it all weekend and I now have another trunk full of stuff for the charity store.  I keep saying I have nothing left to get rid of and then I find that there's _always_ more.


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## Ken N Tx (Jan 18, 2017)

We moved my MIL down to Texas over 2 1/2 years ago. We needed a 20 foot Uhaul to move stuff that she could not live without. It has been in a storage facility since day one!!!


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 18, 2017)

Ken N Tx said:


> We moved my MIL down to Texas over 2 1/2 years ago. We needed a 20 foot Uhaul to move stuff that she could not live without. It has been in a storage facility since day one!!!



You can think it but don't say a word, not one word!!!


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## Butterfly (Jan 18, 2017)

jujube said:


> I with you on that.  It took a long time, but I finally came to the realization that I don't NEED four identical ladles and to stop the rationalization that if my ladle, for some reason, _breaks_, I can go out and buy _another_ ladle......I don't need to _stockpile_ them.  I mean, even if the Zombie Apocalypse comes, there _will_ be ladles.
> 
> Substitute "black tennis shoes", "extra vacuum sweepers" (I have four of them....I'm still working on "letting go"), "red sweaters", ad nauseam, and you get the picture.  I worked at it all weekend and I now have another trunk full of stuff for the charity store.  I keep saying I have nothing left to get rid of and then I find that there's _always_ more.



The way I get past it is to remember back when we were active duty military and moved all the time.  We could ship so many pounds of household stuff paid for by the government, but anything over the limit we had to pay for.  SO, the question back then was "it is worth paying to ship this thing?"  That's the question I ask myself now -- "would I pay to ship this thing?"  That helps a lot, as the answer is almost always no.


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## Manatee (Jan 18, 2017)

We had a few large garage sales before we moved back from AZ.  Downsized and got cash for it.

There are still things that we should not have moved and things we sold that we should have kept.  Overall we did the right thing.


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## OneEyedDiva (Jan 19, 2017)

Amazing! I was planning to post about Houzz.com today in the group about decorating. I love the site! Have been checking it out for awhile now but finally created an account yesterday so I can save some pics. Downsizing, purging is not easy. I finally let go of my storage unit a couple of years ago, mostly for the saving. But as I emptied it out of my stuff and my late mother's items, I realized how little I really needed to keep. I donated some, found space for some and wound up giving even more things away. 

That couple's condo was very nicely decorated. I love the dark blue accent wall in the dining area and how it ties in with their sofa and chairs although I'm more an earth tones person. The condo looks open and it's not boxy. Thank you for sharing your Ideabooks with us!


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## Butterfly (Jan 20, 2017)

I'm not a fan of that condo -- it seems too modern and "spare" for me.


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## Seawytch (Feb 19, 2017)

I am getting rid of stuff also, I am enjoying it. The more stuff I get rid of, the less burdened I feel! I do have a ,though. I have several burnt out laptops and 2 humongous old Imac computers. I amreally not sure wht todo with them. Any suggestions?


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## Buckeye (Feb 19, 2017)

Seawytch - make sure they hard drives are either wiped clean or rendered unreadable, then take them to the nearest recycle center. They likely have zero value.

I find myself in my 4th downsizing.  1st was in 2001 when my terminally ill first wife and I moved from a 4,000 sqft house to a mere 3,000 sqft one that was on one floor.  2nd was in 2008 when my 2nd wife and I retired and moved from Ohio to a 2,000 sqft house in Florida.  3rd downsize was at the end of 2014 when we moved from Florida to 1700 sqft home in Hawaii. Still moved way too much.  Now that she has passed away, I'm moving back to the mainland, and once again, looking a stuff and asking myself: do I really want to pay to ship this back?  I am determined to fit everything into a 20' shipping container.  Wish me luck


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## Seawytch (Feb 19, 2017)

:fatigue::fatigue:Good luck with your move, Hoot. Thanks for the advice. The lap tops are easy, but those imacs weigh a ton!


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## Butterfly (Feb 19, 2017)

Hey, Hoot, just curious why you are moving back to the mainland?  I always thought Hawaii would be a wonderful place to live (except I've heard it is very expensive to live there).


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## Myquest55 (Feb 22, 2017)

Another article to share - this showed up in MarketWatch today:

_Who is going to want your parent's stuff?_

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/whos-going-to-want-your-parents-stuff-2017-02-22

Some helpful info!


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## Buckeye (Feb 22, 2017)

Butterfly said:


> Hey, Hoot, just curious why you are moving back to the mainland?  I always thought Hawaii would be a wonderful place to live (except I've heard it is very expensive to live there).



Butterfly - I do love it here on the Big Island, but (there's always a "but") there are some issues.  We moved here from Florida as kind of a "last adventure" together.  We had been to the Islands on vacation, etc, and had thought of living here, and decided in 2014 it was "now or never", and moved in January of '15.  My wife passed away in March of '16, and I guess I need to get back to civilization while I still can.  Lots of folks come and go at about the 2 year period.  It isn't for everyone.  Mahalo


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## Camper6 (Feb 22, 2017)

Retirement?

Nothing to do and all day to do it in.

Honestly I find Retirement extremely boring.

God invented work so we could at least be productive 8 hours a day.
And then he invented golf for the weekends.


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## Kitties (Feb 22, 2017)

If I ever find a manufactured home to buy, chances are very good it will be larger that my apartment. I don't plan to buy anything to fill it. I have plenty here and will probably get rid of things. I'm more hopeful to be organized such as having all my yarn and fabric in one place so I know what I have and can pick things for projects. And one extra bedroom the cats can't go in since my tabby MUST get into absolutely EVERYTHING.


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## nvtribefan (Feb 23, 2017)

Camper6 said:


> Retirement?
> 
> Nothing to do and all day to do it in.
> 
> ...



Sounds like a perfect opportunity to volunteer for a worthy cause, such as a food bank or animal shelter.  Or get a job as a store greeter.


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