Need these! Reason: Small space mentality. Excess stuff.
One reason we moved onto a boat was we were feeling the crush of owning too much stuff. The boat gave us the perfect opportunity to shed the excess things that weren’t useful or added little meaning to our lives.
You collect things, we all do, and eventually it becomes a problem and the only thing you can think of is finding some other place to keep it all. So you rent a storage unit. Most of those boxes hold little of personal value, yet haunt us each month with a rental fee.
How about just getting rid of it? After all, we are talking about cultivating a small space mentality. The old saying about death is ‘You can’t take it with you’. Well, on a boat, you can, just not very much. Many boaters consider this the hardest thing they had to do, but Sarah and I found it much easier then expected.
Several things helped us to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. First, we were ready. Eyes wide open, both feet in, we were going to do it and there was no middle ground. We wanted this now, and that attitude helped us see stuff for what it was, just stuff.
One reason we moved onto a boat was we were feeling the crush of owning too much stuff. The boat gave us the perfect opportunity to shed the excess things that weren’t useful or added little meaning to our lives.
You collect things, we all do, and eventually it becomes a problem and the only thing you can think of is finding some other place to keep it all. So you rent a storage unit. Most of those boxes hold little of personal value, yet haunt us each month with a rental fee.
How about just getting rid of it? After all, we are talking about cultivating a small space mentality. The old saying about death is ‘You can’t take it with you’. Well, on a boat, you can, just not very much. Many boaters consider this the hardest thing they had to do, but Sarah and I found it much easier then expected.
Several things helped us to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. First, we were ready. Eyes wide open, both feet in, we were going to do it and there was no middle ground. We wanted this now, and that attitude helped us see stuff for what it was, just stuff.
and more stuff....
We had to set thresholds, boundaries really, so things could get sorted quickly and simply. The question really came down to why do we have this thing? Does it have value so can’t be thrown away? Are we emotionally attached to it? It may have a use but a use on the boat? Is it irreplaceable?
We came up with a simple plan, fun and rewarding, yet as stress free as possible. We were going to give almost everything away, in a short amount of time, with as little as work and pain as possible. So we scheduled a give-away party for our friends.
We came up with a simple plan, fun and rewarding, yet as stress free as possible. We were going to give almost everything away, in a short amount of time, with as little as work and pain as possible. So we scheduled a give-away party for our friends.
All For Free
They came into the house and took what they wanted. This wasn’t a garage sale, we just gave it all away.
In the end we had just a few boxes of irreplaceable, emotional things that we needed to keep. Family pictures, records, surprisingly little really. Our friends were grateful for the art, tools, sewing machines, kitchen supplies, and many many nicknacks.
The rest, everything but several boxes, went into the boat.
Year after year our small space keeps us on our toes, and we love the freedom that gives us. We stay watchful for the never used tool or seldom worn clothes and rejoice when we find something truly fun and useful to replace them with.
Downsize. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy what’s important in life. There are few tangible, hold-in-your-hand things that will bring you happiness, so try and not save up a storage unit full of them.
In the end we had just a few boxes of irreplaceable, emotional things that we needed to keep. Family pictures, records, surprisingly little really. Our friends were grateful for the art, tools, sewing machines, kitchen supplies, and many many nicknacks.
The rest, everything but several boxes, went into the boat.
Year after year our small space keeps us on our toes, and we love the freedom that gives us. We stay watchful for the never used tool or seldom worn clothes and rejoice when we find something truly fun and useful to replace them with.
Downsize. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy what’s important in life. There are few tangible, hold-in-your-hand things that will bring you happiness, so try and not save up a storage unit full of them.
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