I find that the hardest thing to STOP thinking about is "how much is that worth?". When my Mom passed, I took all her Royal Doulton and Beswick figurines to a charity shop. People were shocked that I did that, but I had no interest in collecting "dust catchers" and did not want to clutter my mind thinking about $$. I don't care if they were sold for pittance and later sold for a fortune on Kijiji. They are gone, and hopefully being enjoyed by someone who wants that kind of thing. Donate, Donate, Donate! You do not have to be rich to be a philantropist ... I learned to just donate stuff and stop thinking about what I could sell it for. It wasn't easy, but worth it.
I’m a home stager and I help a lot of people with decluttering and down sizing. One thing I suggest to my clients it to take a photo of the item before you sell or donate them - that way you will still have the memory without having to trip over the item - hope that helps folks on here
You are so correct! I did that when selling/donating items from my parents home. I scroll through the photos a couple of times a year and it makes me smile.
We are in our 80,s and have 40 Royal Daulton figurines and lots of China, Silverware etc. we know non of our children will want it but the fact is nobody else wants that kind of stuff either. It will probable get tossed when we are gone.
Hi, my husband and I are starting to talk about retirement and I really enjoy your videos and advice. I had a neighbor that pAssed away, 93 years old..the children came, rented a dumpster and clear the house…I cried…thinking here are all her things she held on and they saw it as junk. It makes you think, hold on to the memories and pictures and let go of the things that no one wants. I’m trying to do that. Thank you and stay well.
I had to do this with my dad's things beginning of 2022. It was extremely difficult because each item speaks a story of memories. When my mom passed later that same year, I still cannot bear to do it. My eyes fill with tears just entering her bedroom. I can't seem to get past it.
we had a neighbor like that, lived down a few blocks, we'd see her when walking the dog. Starting wondering about her, hadn't seen her in a while. Found out when a dumpster was in front of the house. she had cute knick knacks in her porch windows, suncatchers, and soon it was all gone. Im think of her trinkets , glad they brought her so much joy though when i walk by
@@AGhostInTheMachine Such a hard thing to do so be gentle on yourself. I always try to think about how I would want my kids to be feeling at that time and all of us would want it to be as easy as possible for them at what is arguably one of the hardest times they will face in terms of emotional events. I took very little from my Parents when the time came but I do have a few things that I still use and think about when I'm using them. Good luck with it all and hopefully time will help the process along. Take care mate.
My sister and I helped our parents on their second downsize. It was staggering all of what they had moved the first time, 18 years earlier, and hadn’t even unboxed. Even worse we’re all the brand new clothes transported from Florida hanging in closets with the tags still on. We decided early on that we would donate as much as possible and the local St. Vincent de Paul was grateful for our many trips. We also made several trips to the dump but everything of use was given away. My wife’s father ran an auction when his parents passed and in the end they were sorry they didn’t go the donation route.
My rule is to never store anything in the attic because you obviously don't need it and will forget it is there. My mom always said "If you haven't used it in six months and it is replaceable, out it goes". Here is another good one - if you find something you forgot you had, you obviously don't need it; out it goes! And, making decisions about what to keep shortly after a parent dies, is not the time to make that decision. Decide beforehand and stick to it.
Well, Norm and Tina we did it! Ever since we began watching your videos we have thought about selling our condo and renting. We found a great apartment which spurred us on to sell our condo (which sold in just 5 days). We had one month to downsize and move. We have been going non-stop and ruthless in getting rid of things, either by selling or donating. Margaret a Magnuseen has written a book titled ‘The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning’. Essentially the theme is to declutter so it is not left to your children to deal with it all after you are gone. Our condo was in a 6 unit walk-up with most of the upkeep falling to my soon to be 80 year old husband. While we loved the condo itself, we could see the time to move was now, not 3 years from now. Oh, two things…..one, we are surprised how many people ask us how much we pay in rent, and two, the idea of not owning seems to shock people. We are fine with it, but we do see raised eyebrows. So, bottom line, although we are tired we are delighted with our decision and glad we made the move. AND, the rental building has an elevator! Thanks for planting the seed, we are so happy we made this move.
I downsized my mum twice, my mother-in-law twice and my father-in-law three times over the space of ten years. This included me storing their stuff in my garage to sell to help with their care. This included ten garage sales. This included taking care of my adolescent children with learning challenges. Now I have to downsize my household in the next few years to prepare for our retirement. Yikes!
Downsizing was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done and required help from a therapist and anxiety medication. We moved from a 4500 sq fit house to a 1400 sq ft apartment and moved in 16 days. You are correct, the small stuff is what kills you. These small things that have emotional attachments are the worst and it is a grieving process to let these things go. We brought too much stuff and are working through all of that stuff now. It is a process. As my husband said, “We thought it would be minor surgery, but it is actually a quadruple amputation.” And it was just that and continues to be a process. Thanks for your videos.
We sold our parent's 3000 Sq ft house in Vancouver and only kept 2 items ftom my dad and two from my mom. To get rid of so much crap we simply hired a junk company to get rid of it. We have no regrets. 😊 And yes I have all those photo albums and don't know half the people in them...lol.
I started downsizing 10 years ago…and my house is still full! 😂😂 I describe going through layers - letting go a little deeper each time I go through things. Another few years and I should be down to basics…about time I figure that I’ll move down in space. Great topic kids! 🤗🙏
Moving abroad is the ultimate downsizing motivation. I sold my house in 2015 and put some in storage as I traveled for a few years. Then I returned, took everything out of storage and moved into a small apartment. I got rid of a lot but now I'm moving and can't ship more than a box or two. I have no kids so everything will be sold or donated . Yes Norm, even my antique camera collection...
We took photos of our inherited and sentimental items and created photo books. This way we keep the memory and can let go of the item. You can even add stories to the photo books.
It’s so true, decluttering is an ongoing process no matter what your age but when doing a true downsizing you have to be really honest with yourself about what you need to support the life you’re moving to. It doesn’t mean you can’t keep some of those sentimental items you love but it has to fit comfortably in the space you have. Comfortably, easy to access - not crammed in or stuffed away. Life is so much easier then.
It is an ongoing process for sure. One thing that was so sad about clearing out my mom’s house were the things she kept and never used because they were for “nice”, and now no one wants these silver, crystal, linen items. So USE your nice stuff now, or let it go so your family isn’t stuck trying to decide what to do with it all. If someone admires a thing you have, gift it to them now!
I absolutely love Tina and Norm and this channel! This content is pure gold in helping me think about and plan my retirement planning and journey. Thank you both so much!
Advice from my father: Rent a storage unit for your stuff. Then you can go visit your stuff anytime you want. When you no longer visit your stuff or you are tired of paying for the storage unit just get rid of everything in the storage unit (without looking through it).
Never saw a hearse with a u-haul. I had to realize that what was precious to my mom was not necessarily precious to me. And so on with my kids. I don’t want to burden them with a house full of stuff when I die.
I sent Mike to the basement while listening to music from his youth to go through boxes of cr*p when we downsized. Not only was he able to get rid of so much stuff, the music helped take him back to that time memories. I would check on him enjoying the process. This is now a special memory we talk about.
I love your channel! My husband left 8 years ago and we lived in a very large home. I stayed in it for two years until the kids finished high school and then downsized. Your are absolutely correct…I thought I had downsized, but realized that I still had too much. The big things were easy, but the more sentimental things were harder. I was quite surprised at the lack of interest in things that I thought were so valuable. You are also correct that my kids don’t want a lot of things that I thought they would. However, I don’t want to leave my kids with a “mess” of things to get rid of when I pass away. I really like your idea of “continual downsizing” when you retire. It is a really hard process mentally though because it is coming to terms with your own mortality and the fact that you don’t “need” things in the future…especially the sentimental things.
We started downsizing months BEFORE we made the decision to move to our very small vacation home. One thing we did was go through the hundreds of photos in albums and just thrown into boxes. Many of those photos were duplicates, blurry, landscapes with no people in them, places we had visited that we could not remember. We made a “sweater” sized plastic box for each of our two children and one for ourselves. Tossed what was left. Now we only have our favorites. Also, we make a family photo book each year at Christmas time of the year’s best photos using the Shutterfly app. Each book is the same size and they stack neatly. No more guilt over just tossing memories.
This rings home with us. My mother in law finally decided to move to a residence last year at 95. We took 10 months to downsize her home, trying to give away as much as possible. What my kids decided to keep from their grandmother is in my house now because they currently have no room. Funny how that is .....
I understand.....no one wants or cannot take it now due to distance (despite the suggestion to have it in a carry-on....). We are finally saying now or never.
Decluttering is most definitely a lifelong process. So many ways to get stuff into your home and the only way out is that conscience effort which can be terribly difficult especially with sentimental times. My hubs and I did a quick run thorough of our basement and even that resulted in a bin full of stuff to throw out/giveaway. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Tina and Norm! Ok off to get rid of more crap now 😂😂
Thank you! The benefit of "living light" and removing stuff/crap/unused space from your life is amazing. We went from 3,500 sq ft with a second home and a crazy number of big toys to a 600 sq ft condo and it is my favorite home so far. It is not just physical decluttering. It is mentally decluttering as well. I suspect many of us have "home esteem" or "stuff esteem" but it is a high tax on your time and your happiness - ultimately, I suspect it is a drag on your happiness. When you think about how little of your home you really use, and things you can easily rent (boats, exotic cars, party venues, vacation homes, etc.) versus own and maintain, it's amazing how little space and stuff you need. We are converts and love it!
I downsized for 10 years, 6 years before retirement and 4 years after retirement and I still had too much stuff. I will agree that it's a very hard thing to do, especially when you have a lot of tools
My husband and I are in the process of downsizing from our house to a condo. He has digitalized all our CDs and DVDs. Our photo albums will be next. Tina and Norm are correct; you have to be ruthless during the process.
Same here. When we downsized as well, literally we threw away half the volume we had in house. Mercilessly.. And started to feel the meaning of "less is more".
Another great video you two. One of the challenges you alluded to - holding on to stuff “just in case”. I’ve found that is most prevalent in people who grew up poor. They didn’t have much when they were young so are loathe the get rid of stuff when they are older and better off financially. It’s a hard thing to overcome.
I’ve been trying to downsize where I can but my husband likes to hang on to everything! He loves keeping stuff but it stresses me out. I hate the idea of our kids having to clean up this stuff when we are gone.
I was a minimalist before the term was popular; I never liked a lot of things (stuff) in my house, so I guess I'm lucky in that regard. Your message is an important one because there are so many people that want to downsize but just don't know where to start.
I can remember visiting my Oma in her room at the nursing home when i was 25ish. I thought to myself, "in the end all that was left was a chair, night table, dresser with 3 or 4 outfits and a picture of my Opa".... Funny, I still have that chair in my garage at 55 years old. Cheers
Such a hard topic and one likely we will all have to face with either aging parents or ourselves. My wife keeps saying that we have to get rid of stuff and I clearly remember what it was like having to clear out our Mother's home which still had all of our Fathers things in it from when he passed many years earlier. I swore then that I didn't want our kids to have to do the same sort of thing but it's very difficult and will require a big change of focus. I wonder how much of it is not wanting to admit that we're aging and that things will have to change? Great video guys, thank you.
It's amazing the amount of stuff we collect over the decades. I find that as I age, I am moving more towards minimalism. 1 in, 1 out is my rule for anything now. Get a shirt for Xmas, an older one goes out. New glass or dishes, old ones out, right then and there. Do that with all your things and maintain after decluttering.
I’m doing that too and I’m not afraid to donate something and bless someone else with it, instead of thinking that I have to sell it. Sometimes the hassle of selling is not worth the instant peace of mind from just donating quickly and having a clear home. I look at it like a charitable donation.
My parents never downsized when they were still alive, despite my pleading with them to declutter and make day to day living easier on themselves. So it was never a problem for me to realize the benefits of gradual downsizing even prior to retiring. Great episode, guys!😊❤
The emotional attachments are real. Im very practical, but recently my daughter was very hurt i donated her childhood furniture. She is in a small apartment and has no room. Its hard when the kids want to keep sentimental items but they are just taking up space in my basement. Im thinking of telling my kids that if they want things then they are responsible for paying to store it!
Hi, yes, you are correct about discarding items that you are emotionally attached to!!!! I have gone from my house to my apartment and now I am downsizing even more because I will be moving into a Class B camper van!!!!! 😳😳 I'll have to have a storage unit because some items are just to difficult to part with at this time...............😉
I moved from Winnipeg to the NWT for my last 10 working years. I built a storage area in my condo basement. I retired 4 years ago. All the stuff in the basement wasnt used for 10 years. lol. It made getting rid of it easier.
Very amusing 😄.🎉. I'm doing it very slowly when the mood takes me 😂 . Emotional attachment is my downfall my mum died 33 years ago, and I just cannot part with her bone China dinner service which she never used and I've never used!!!! what's that all about. I only keep it cos she loved it . I need to get a grip. Great chat thanks to both 😅x
Here's a little tip: as soon as the faintest glimmer of downsizing broaches your mind, when walking through stores start looking at everything on the shelves as just more boat anchors on your life. It will cause you to look at all the junk you have as not really needed. Gotta shift the mindset to deaccumulation mode.
I down size every 6 months i love living with a clean and a minimalist mindset , we would in America be dept free is we would only buy what we truly need , its a disgrace what people accumulate,
I am giving my daughter items every month for her to sell on Mercari. She's using that money to cover living costs during college. Even with scholarships and savings, rent, food, and personal expenses add up!
It’s absolutely normal to downsize in “waves.” As you do it, you gradually get better at seeing what is truly “extra” and begin to enjoy the SPACE you now have. It becomes fun to take away another layer and another . . .
Really good topic! Glad you shared your experience. I like your idea and practice....Eternal downsizing is retirement! And it makes sense that as time passes you become less attached. Keeping it real so people do not feel too badly about not downsizing enough. Good one this week! 💯👍 🇨🇦
Thanks so much for this timely video. My Dad always said that we are slaves to the things we own. The emotional pull of "stuff" is hard to overcome, yet we keep trying. Thanks again!
Downsizing never ends…we are so accustomed to accumulating, we always have a donation bin going at home. My mother who is 86, is constantly culling her belongings.
We spent 18 months clearing out and deep cleaning while we were house-hunting. Unfortunately we also had inherited stuff from parents and siblings. Albums of photos in quadruplicate or people we didn’t know, narrowed down now to one small bin. We decided to downsize in steps and moved to a smaller house (3 floors to 2) with no lawn, no sidewalks, no eaves. A snow removal service does the driveway. Sold on Facebook Marketplace or NextDoor what we could, gave away a lot, trashed the rest. Still give stuff away but we will be ready for the next move.
Eternal Downsizing - now that's a concept. Sounds like an ad for cremation - hahaha You two are cute. This isn't a problem for us. Minimalism is so freeing - the stuff just weighs you down.
Already retired early into a 1 bedroom apt but I'm also planning to move at the end of my lease... in 12 months. Gotta keep decluttering (as you said as a lifelong thing) not just to make moving easier but to keep things organized for my family to sort through should I pass. Funny I ran into a book yesterday at the library called "Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff". My goal is to clear out my condo storage so that it's just my winter tires.
Downsizing. Ugh I think that’s what stops me from fully retiring 🤣🤣🤣🎉. But I’m practicing retiring , and starting decluttering while working. Aww I love how you remember the camera and pics you took. Someone will buy your well loved and cared for things. Best of luck. ❤❤
Oh my goodness, you are so absolutely right! We are old have moved twice in the last ten years and still have so much stuff. Husband just cannot part with things, but everything you said is so very true. Thanks for a great video. What you say is always so true and you make it so enjoyable to watch.
I don't regard downsizing as getting rid of stuff. I regard it as letting go of the past, as choosing what must remain with me. My difficulty is my library.
Well here I was already to come by for a drink...but now I hear you don't have enough glasses !! LOL LOL Truly I think this was sage advice...downsizing becomes a lifestyle that continues well into retirement. The good thing about doing it NOW is you can decide what to do with it...not someone else after you've died. It becomes a hardship for whoever is charged with getting rid of the STUFF.
❤ I started my own space downsizing, I can’t force that concept on anyone else, but that’s not an excuse for not doing it. I figure if I do it first, there will be less one person to take care of when the time comes 🎉🎉🎉😊
My hubby is a pack rat and hangs onto everything. Thinks some stuff will be valuable one day. Kids don’t want any of it. I have no attachment to this house of 36 yrs, furniture is old, and I would like to clear out 2/3’s of it.
Let it go....let it go! Hi guys. Really interesting topic. I've moved home a few times. Decluttering is an important topic. I can never believe how much useless stuff I have to get rid of, especially as I also moved from a house to an apartment. Nobody wants this stuff so get rid! Congratulations on another excellent video. 🙏👊👍💪☘️
This video and the comments of people make me realize what a meaningless consumerist society we live in. I am now a minimalist but you really have to watch for clutter creep. I try to buy only what I really need. I always say stuff equals stress. Best to buy nothing… and save money and stress. Great video Norm and Tina! 💚💚💚
I can soo relate to this. I started decluttering my home about three years ago and then our parents passed away and we had the big job of clearing out their space. Now I have boxes of stuff in my house from that. Even though we were pretty ruthless getting rid of things. There are soo many emotional items. Time to re-visit the boxes and sort through them. Thanks. Have a wonderful week.
The joke in my family is that it will take 10 years to move out of our house. LOL and I truly believe that because the emotional and historic attachment to things of my parents and my grandparents and even my great-grandparents is very hard to overcome.
Tina & Norm. I laughed when you said you went from 2000 square feet to 1500 square feet. My little house is 700 square feet. It does have a basement too. So in reality I have the same square footage as you have. Things make me edgy. I can’t stand clutter. But I have a confession. I have a bead room in the basement and its crammed full of plastic cupboards on wheels with drawers with 1000’s of beads. I will turn 70 in the spring and it bothers me that I have so many beads. My son will freak if he has to get rid of that stuff when I die. But I still make jewelry to sell so I don’t want to get tid of it yet. Most other things will be easy to sell.
I still have my Canon FTb that I bought new when I arrived in Joburg in 1970 an a ZEISS IKON my father took off a German in the war, nothing else much matters, memories are made of this.
I am watching this video as I write these comments. I have to commend you for your extreme candor. It opened up the whole discussion for us too. I think you did a real public service by your clarity. It is not easy to talk about but, in reality, we are not Egyptian Pharoahs. We cannot bring it with us. All the best !!!
Norm and Tina! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 I’m single gal retired nurse and a long time sub. I just adore both of you. I wish we could share a cocktail or two ! Norm I had the same smoldering resistance to releasing my book collection and some old music but found it liberating giving it to a local school music and library. Perhaps a local college or school or needy student might benefit from your cameras etc. I now stream all my music from anywhere on my small Bose mini wireless speakers! Gone are the days of big speakers and stereo wire! Take care you crazy kids! Cheers! 🥂🍸🍺🍸
I just recently moved from my condo to my partners home and we are sharing living expenses. I didn't have a lot of small stuff, mainly furniture but my partner does. She likes old antique stuff. We got a skip and she called it that not dumpster and she is Canadian., and gotcrid of a lot of stuff that is not saleable. We also sold quite a bit of stuff on FB market place. We still have too much stuff in my opinion but we are continuing to get rid of stuff. Goodwill is a good place to take some items to that are difficult to sell
We are not ready to downsize just yet, but I pick one day a month to start growing through cabinets and closets and get rid of items that we either I longer use or no longer need. It feels awesome to get a load out of here once a month.
Recently read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning" It's a great read and really makes you think about all the stuff you have accumulated over the years.
Enjoy your videos!! Hubby is just retiring, sold our home in June in 8 hrs....relocated to a city where 2/3 of our kids live, so downsizing...yes! However, I have to keep reminding my hubby that we're not 80 yet...it's ok to still have hobby's, and keep things that bring us enjoyment. Having cleaned out both sets of parents homes, we definitely don't want to leave a bunch of stuff for our kids to deal with but we're not dying yet...hopefully for a very long time. It is a fine line between cleaning out the stuff, and still keeping enough stuff to still have a life!! We are renting a 1400 sq. ft. townhouse, from a 3000 sq. ft home...miss my yard so much!! Hubby is totally sold on the renting scenario, me, I'm not so sure. But I'll try it for a year and we will reassess. Seeing our kids more is the payoff!! Take care!!
Sometimes it takes longer for some people than others to adjust to a new move , retiring and to go from owning to renting , it’s a big plus for us being near to our son too . We wish you all the best Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
I enjoy your videos so much. I am trying to get rid of things in my home which is only 1600 sq ft. My kids do not want anything in our home and they do not want to live in it either. So I am starting to throw away things.
I found this a great video. Norm - When you referred to when your gone the kids wont want your stuff. It made me think, you know what your right, they will just bin it. Your right we get emotionally attached to stuff. So fishing being my I hobby I have given to a local fishing club all my stuff I don’t want/use for their juniors section and beginners. The giving of this and memories are worth with more than the money I’d make USD $150 at best. So thank you.
I remember when my father in law relocated back to PORTUGAL. We were left with emptying the house. In his garage was a storage shed that was filled to the rafters. 6 truck loads later, we started seeing the back end of the shed. He was a pack rat. He passed away later in years and went to Lolé, Portugal just to do it all over again. All we brought were a few mementos that we could carry in our luggage for the flight back home. I am now struggling with my wife to downsize as she has inherited her father's desire to not discard anything.
I once read an article that was titled No One wants your stuff. It is so true. Part of the current issue is that two generations are downsizing at once - us young ones in our 60's and 70's and our parents in their 80's and 90‘S so there is a huge glut of of possessions with nowhere to go. Mom who is in the house they bought in 1952 has told us all to take what we want while she is still around. I have taken some Art Deco China painted by my great aunt. She often asks me what we will do with all her stuff that is left and I tell her that we will call a junk company who will take it all away which makes her feel better as she doesn't want it to be a burden. I downsized to a small bungalow a few years ago. It was sad to saw up my dining set and take it to the dump but I couldn't even give it away and donation centres don't want heavy brown furniture.
Down sizing is a process. Our downsizing started 9 years ago and we still have 'binge moments' where we tackle the sensitive items. I can walk in any store or mall and come home empty handed. No more accumulating - just treasure what we have and minimize the 'clean out' by those cleaning up after us once we are gone. 👌🇳🇱🙋♀🇳🇿 😎🍷🍷
Another great video! You are so right about downsizing being a continual process. We are in the process of downsizing from our large home to a townhouse and we are purging. I use two methods. When it comes to the stuff you "might use someday" I use the 20/20 rule, which is I get rid of it if it is under $20 and can be replaced in 20 minutes. The other thing we are doing is Swedish 'dostadning" or death cleaning, which is eliminating unnecessary items in your home so your loved ones won't be burdened with it after you pass. Sounds morbid but it isn't. Like you, we've offered the items to our kids and if they don't want it - out it goes. There are so many places to donate your things and people will use and appreciate them instead of these things just sitting in a box. There is a great feeling you get when you free yourself from all this stuff!
We bought a book called, “From Clutter to Clarity” by Kerri Richardson really helped us! She talks about the emotional attachment to “stuff” and how to overcome it. Great advice!
I still say Fleetwood Mac was the greatest band of the 70’s. Saw them live in 1978 at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin. It was an outdoor venue and they arrived in a helicopter. Did they sell T shirts then? Idk. Wish I had one. I honestly don’t have any physical memorabilia from that night but I did marry my date. Lol
I agree - having downsized from a large family home , we moved to a small cottage . We got riding a lot. We did fill the loft ! Today, 12 years later , emptied the loft and went to the skip. Told the children, take it or it’s going to the charity shop or skip. I’m now looking at the last bits - mainly photos and sentimental things. I’m being ruthless ❤❤
Myself, I am 58 now. Since my early forties, I have been checking my stuff every year or 2. So, I ask myself have I used this or that in the last year, if not, I get rid of it. I cherish the memories more than the items. Especially my basement, I get rid of stuff instead of stacking it. I believe people get attached to just having things. By the time you save stuff for your kids , they don't want it, lol. They don't feel the same way about it that you or I do, or it is way out of date. It has worked great over the last 15 yrs. Thanks for the video. Cheers! :)
I appreciate your comment about the possibilities of how your stuff can be used by others, such as a photography student. For me I had bookshelves filled with books that I read and charished. But the books just sat on the shelf, not having their pages turned. I know what is in those books, but I needed to let them go. It helped me to imagine that those books needed to find new owners who would read them and discover the same things I once did. I gave most of my books away, keeping less than a quarter of them. I am about to redownsize them again, keeping only a few charished volumes that I revisit from time to time.
What resonated most was Tina's luggage analogy. So true - we need to be realistic about what we need for the next bit of our journey and let go what we will no longer use. Thank you for this video.😊
We are currently in the process of downsizing to half the space we have now…our move date is less than a week away. We’ve been decluttering and taking things to Value Village and Habitat for months. Some days we think we’re doing well and then we open a closet and think oh no more stuff to deal with. We are in our mid 60s and feel happy to do this now in good health…it would be so much harder 10 yrs from now. As we get closer to our move date we become more ruthless with letting go of stuff. I’m sure the early boxes we packed have too much stuff! It’s physically and mentally exhausting. As things go out the door we feel relief. We’re happy to pay it forward and have given everything away for free, let someone else enjoy using it. Thanks for your video, it’s like you read my mind and are speaking directly to my situation. Looking forward to more of your videos.
Oh I love this video! Yes I am starting to do this and I made a New Years resolution to donate at least one box of stuff each month. You are so right in the emotional attachment to stuff. I have things that my parents gave me and that is hard to part with. My husband has tons of tools and is worse than me when it comes to keeping stuff. Our plan is to sell our home and move into an apartment and have the turn key lifestyle. No more cutting grass and to shovel snow. Thanks for sharing the truth about downsizing since I know it is a real challenge for me. Great video!
We're slowing working on getting rid of things. It's such a challenge. We have way too many pictures and our kids don't want their childhood pictures. It's a long process! Sue & Steve Ageing Joyfully
I find that the hardest thing to STOP thinking about is "how much is that worth?". When my Mom passed, I took all her Royal Doulton and Beswick figurines to a charity shop. People were shocked that I did that, but I had no interest in collecting "dust catchers" and did not want to clutter my mind thinking about $$. I don't care if they were sold for pittance and later sold for a fortune on Kijiji. They are gone, and hopefully being enjoyed by someone who wants that kind of thing. Donate, Donate, Donate! You do not have to be rich to be a philantropist ... I learned to just donate stuff and stop thinking about what I could sell it for. It wasn't easy, but worth it.
Thanks for sharing Sharon Cheers 🌺🍷🙂
I’m a home stager and I help a lot of people with decluttering and down sizing. One thing I suggest to my clients it to take a photo of the item before you sell or donate them - that way you will still have the memory without having to trip over the item - hope that helps folks on here
I have done that with my many, many photo albums so when I one day decide to let them go I have the photos on a flash drive in my safe.
You are so correct! I did that when selling/donating items from my parents home. I scroll through the photos a couple of times a year and it makes me smile.
Thanks for a great tip 👍🙂
@bcislandlife9795 great advice 👍
We are in our 80,s and have 40 Royal Daulton figurines and lots of China, Silverware etc. we know non of our children will want it but the fact is nobody else wants that kind of stuff either. It will probable get tossed when we are gone.
Hi, my husband and I are starting to talk about retirement and I really enjoy your videos and advice. I had a neighbor that pAssed away, 93 years old..the children came, rented a dumpster and clear the house…I cried…thinking here are all her things she held on and they saw it as junk. It makes you think, hold on to the memories and pictures and let go of the things that no one wants. I’m trying to do that. Thank you and stay well.
Thanks for watching and sharing that is sad when that happens Cheers 🌺🍷🙂🍻
I had to do this with my dad's things beginning of 2022. It was extremely difficult because each item speaks a story of memories. When my mom passed later that same year, I still cannot bear to do it. My eyes fill with tears just entering her bedroom. I can't seem to get past it.
we had a neighbor like that, lived down a few blocks, we'd see her when walking the dog. Starting wondering about her, hadn't seen her in a while. Found out when a dumpster was in front of the house. she had cute knick knacks in her porch windows, suncatchers, and soon it was all gone. Im think of her trinkets , glad they brought her so much joy though when i walk by
@@AGhostInTheMachine Such a hard thing to do so be gentle on yourself.
I always try to think about how I would want my kids to be feeling at that time and all of us would want it to be as easy as possible for them at what is arguably one of the hardest times they will face in terms of emotional events.
I took very little from my Parents when the time came but I do have a few things that I still use and think about when I'm using them.
Good luck with it all and hopefully time will help the process along.
Take care mate.
My sister and I helped our parents on their second downsize. It was staggering all of what they had moved the first time, 18 years earlier, and hadn’t even unboxed. Even worse we’re all the brand new clothes transported from Florida hanging in closets with the tags still on.
We decided early on that we would donate as much as possible and the local St. Vincent de Paul was grateful for our many trips. We also made several trips to the dump but everything of use was given away. My wife’s father ran an auction when his parents passed and in the end they were sorry they didn’t go the donation route.
My rule is to never store anything in the attic because you obviously don't need it and will forget it is there. My mom always said "If you haven't used it in six months and it is replaceable, out it goes". Here is another good one - if you find something you forgot you had, you obviously don't need it; out it goes! And, making decisions about what to keep shortly after a parent dies, is not the time to make that decision. Decide beforehand and stick to it.
Well, Norm and Tina we did it! Ever since we began watching your videos we have thought about selling our condo and renting. We found a great apartment which spurred us on to sell our condo (which sold in just 5 days). We had one month to downsize and move. We have been going non-stop and ruthless in getting rid of things, either by selling or donating.
Margaret a Magnuseen has written a book titled ‘The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning’. Essentially the theme is to declutter so it is not left to your children to deal with it all after you are gone.
Our condo was in a 6 unit walk-up with most of the upkeep falling to my soon to be 80 year old husband. While we loved the condo itself, we could see the time to move was now, not 3 years from now.
Oh, two things…..one, we are surprised how many people ask us how much we pay in rent, and two, the idea of not owning seems to shock people. We are fine with it, but we do see raised eyebrows.
So, bottom line, although we are tired we are delighted with our decision and glad we made the move. AND, the rental building has an elevator!
Thanks for planting the seed, we are so happy we made this move.
We are so happy for you Holly and really glad there is an elevator LOL 😂😂Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
I downsized my mum twice, my mother-in-law twice and my father-in-law three times over the space of ten years. This included me storing their stuff in my garage to sell to help with their care. This included ten garage sales. This included taking care of my adolescent children with learning challenges.
Now I have to downsize my household in the next few years to prepare for our retirement. Yikes!
That’s a lot of downsizing wow Cheers 🙂🌺🍻
My goodness, you must be a saint! Might be a future side gig for you, as you obviously have the know how;)
You just gave me more incentive to get going on our house so our children will not be so burdened. Thank you!
Downsizing was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done and required help from a therapist and anxiety medication. We moved from a 4500 sq fit house to a 1400 sq ft apartment and moved in 16 days. You are correct, the small stuff is what kills you. These small things that have emotional attachments are the worst and it is a grieving process to let these things go. We brought too much stuff and are working through all of that stuff now. It is a process.
As my husband said, “We thought it would be minor surgery, but it is actually a quadruple amputation.” And it was just that and continues to be a process. Thanks for your videos.
We so agree and understand Patsy it’s a huge major process mentally and physically Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
Yes emotional items are the most difficult. 😊
We sold our parent's 3000 Sq ft house in Vancouver and only kept 2 items ftom my dad and two from my mom. To get rid of so much crap we simply hired a junk company to get rid of it. We have no regrets. 😊 And yes I have all those photo albums and don't know half the people in them...lol.
Great solution to the problem Johnny Cheers 🌺🙂🍻
I started downsizing 10 years ago…and my house is still full! 😂😂 I describe going through layers - letting go a little deeper each time I go through things. Another few years and I should be down to basics…about time I figure that I’ll move down in space. Great topic kids! 🤗🙏
Glad you enjoyed it Denny Cheers 🙂🍻
Moving abroad is the ultimate downsizing motivation. I sold my house in 2015 and put some in storage as I traveled for a few years. Then I returned, took everything out of storage and moved into a small apartment. I got rid of a lot but now I'm moving and can't ship more than a box or two. I have no kids so everything will be sold or donated . Yes Norm, even my antique camera collection...
We wish you all the best Linda Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
We took photos of our inherited and sentimental items and created photo books. This way we keep the memory and can let go of the item. You can even add stories to the photo books.
Excellent idea
What a great idea Sherri Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
It’s so true, decluttering is an ongoing process no matter what your age but when doing a true downsizing you have to be really honest with yourself about what you need to support the life you’re moving to. It doesn’t mean you can’t keep some of those sentimental items you love but it has to fit comfortably in the space you have. Comfortably, easy to access - not crammed in or stuffed away. Life is so much easier then.
Totally agree just wish we had done more so that we would of brought less Cheers 🌺🍻🙂
It is an ongoing process for sure. One thing that was so sad about clearing out my mom’s house were the things she kept and never used because they were for “nice”, and now no one wants these silver, crystal, linen items. So USE your nice stuff now, or let it go so your family isn’t stuck trying to decide what to do with it all. If someone admires a thing you have, gift it to them now!
Very true 🌺🙂
I call it crap too but it’s all hard to let go.
Yes it is Drew Cheers 🍻🙂
I absolutely love Tina and Norm and this channel! This content is pure gold in helping me think about and plan my retirement planning and journey. Thank you both so much!
Awesome! Thank you! 🍻🙂
Advice from my father: Rent a storage unit for your stuff. Then you can go visit your stuff anytime you want. When you no longer visit your stuff or you are tired of paying for the storage unit just get rid of everything in the storage unit (without looking through it).
Great advice Deborah 🌺🍷
Never saw a hearse with a u-haul. I had to realize that what was precious to my mom was not necessarily precious to me. And so on with my kids. I don’t want to burden them with a house full of stuff when I die.
Thanks for sharing Debora Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
I sent Mike to the basement while listening to music from his youth to go through boxes of cr*p when we downsized. Not only was he able to get rid of so much stuff, the music helped take him back to that time memories. I would check on him enjoying the process. This is now a special memory we talk about.
What a great memory for you both and useful too HaHa ! Cheers 🌺🙂🍻
I love your channel! My husband left 8 years ago and we lived in a very large home. I stayed in it for two years until the kids finished high school and then downsized. Your are absolutely correct…I thought I had downsized, but realized that I still had too much. The big things were easy, but the more sentimental things were harder. I was quite surprised at the lack of interest in things that I thought were so valuable. You are also correct that my kids don’t want a lot of things that I thought they would. However, I don’t want to leave my kids with a “mess” of things to get rid of when I pass away. I really like your idea of “continual downsizing” when you retire. It is a really hard process mentally though because it is coming to terms with your own mortality and the fact that you don’t “need” things in the future…especially the sentimental things.
We are glad you enjoy our channel Dana Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
We started downsizing months BEFORE we made the decision to move to our very small vacation home. One thing we did was go through the hundreds of photos in albums and just thrown into boxes. Many of those photos were duplicates, blurry, landscapes with no people in them, places we had visited that we could not remember. We made a “sweater” sized plastic box for each of our two children and one for ourselves. Tossed what was left. Now we only have our favorites. Also, we make a family photo book each year at Christmas time of the year’s best photos using the Shutterfly app. Each book is the same size and they stack neatly. No more guilt over just tossing memories.
Thanks for sharing Cheers 🙂🌺🍻
This rings home with us. My mother in law finally decided to move to a residence last year at 95. We took 10 months to downsize her home, trying to give away as much as possible. What my kids decided to keep from their grandmother is in my house now because they currently have no room. Funny how that is .....
I understand.....no one wants or cannot take it now due to distance (despite the suggestion to have it in a carry-on....). We are finally saying now or never.
So true kinda of like a hamster wheel it goes round and round Cheers 🌺🙂
Decluttering is most definitely a lifelong process. So many ways to get stuff into your home and the only way out is that conscience effort which can be terribly difficult especially with sentimental times. My hubs and I did a quick run thorough of our basement and even that resulted in a bin full of stuff to throw out/giveaway. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Tina and Norm! Ok off to get rid of more crap now 😂😂
It really is! and we are still doing it so hard with the emotional attachment Cheers 🌺🍷🙂
Hi guys, good topic. I know this problem...... thankx. Cheers ❤✌👍🍀
Our pleasure! Cheers 🌺🙂
Thank you! The benefit of "living light" and removing stuff/crap/unused space from your life is amazing. We went from 3,500 sq ft with a second home and a crazy number of big toys to a 600 sq ft condo and it is my favorite home so far. It is not just physical decluttering. It is mentally decluttering as well. I suspect many of us have "home esteem" or "stuff esteem" but it is a high tax on your time and your happiness - ultimately, I suspect it is a drag on your happiness. When you think about how little of your home you really use, and things you can easily rent (boats, exotic cars, party venues, vacation homes, etc.) versus own and maintain, it's amazing how little space and stuff you need. We are converts and love it!
Thanks for sharing Cheers 🌺🙂
Absolutely right! Great insight🇨🇦
I downsized for 10 years, 6 years before retirement and 4 years after retirement and I still had too much stuff. I will agree that it's a very hard thing to do, especially when you have a lot of tools
Agree, the stuff with emotional attachment is the hardest to let go. Very good advice. Thanks much! 👍
Thanks for watching Edward have a lovely evening Cheers 🌺🙂🍻
Downsizing, really being brutal about it, is a gift to your family. All that stuff, if you don't deal with it, someone else will. Good for you!
My husband and I are in the process of downsizing from our house to a condo. He has digitalized all our CDs and DVDs. Our photo albums will be next. Tina and Norm are correct; you have to be ruthless during the process.
Amazing how well prepared you are. Well done!
Same here. When we downsized as well, literally we threw away half the volume we had in house. Mercilessly..
And started to feel the meaning of "less is more".
Another great video you two. One of the challenges you alluded to - holding on to stuff “just in case”. I’ve found that is most prevalent in people who grew up poor. They didn’t have much when they were young so are loathe the get rid of stuff when they are older and better off financially. It’s a hard thing to overcome.
Good point! that might have something to do with it thanks for sharing 🙂🍻
I’ve been trying to downsize where I can but my husband likes to hang on to everything! He loves keeping stuff but it stresses me out. I hate the idea of our kids having to clean up this stuff when we are gone.
It’s an ongoing thing Lisa Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
I was a minimalist before the term was popular; I never liked a lot of things (stuff) in my house, so I guess I'm lucky in that regard. Your message is an important one because there are so many people that want to downsize but just don't know where to start.
I can remember visiting my Oma in her room at the nursing home when i was 25ish. I thought to myself, "in the end all that was left was a chair, night table, dresser with 3 or 4 outfits and a picture of my Opa".... Funny, I still have that chair in my garage at 55 years old.
Cheers
Such a hard topic and one likely we will all have to face with either aging parents or ourselves.
My wife keeps saying that we have to get rid of stuff and I clearly remember what it was like having to clear out our Mother's home which still had all of our Fathers things in it from when he passed many years earlier.
I swore then that I didn't want our kids to have to do the same sort of thing but it's very difficult and will require a big change of focus.
I wonder how much of it is not wanting to admit that we're aging and that things will have to change?
Great video guys, thank you.
Your very welcome Cheers 🙂🍻
It's amazing the amount of stuff we collect over the decades. I find that as I age, I am moving more towards minimalism. 1 in, 1 out is my rule for anything now. Get a shirt for Xmas, an older one goes out. New glass or dishes, old ones out, right then and there. Do that with all your things and maintain after decluttering.
That is awesome! great idea Bob 👍
I’m doing that too and I’m not afraid to donate something and bless someone else with it, instead of thinking that I have to sell it. Sometimes the hassle of selling is not worth the instant peace of mind from just donating quickly and having a clear home. I look at it like a charitable donation.
Love your humour. Eternal downsizing what! I do believe once we move to our new apartment condo we bought more things will need to go.
My parents never downsized when they were still alive, despite my pleading with them to declutter and make day to day living easier on themselves. So it was never a problem for me to realize the benefits of gradual downsizing even prior to retiring. Great episode, guys!😊❤
Thanks Richard glad you enjoyed it Cheers 🇺🇸🍻🇨🇦
Great show guys! Thoroughly enjoyed your banter.
Much appreciated! take care Kim 🌺🍷
Another cracking video Tina and Norm, it is much easier said than done!
Thanks yes it is Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
Cheers to you too!@@ThisIsOurRetirement
The emotional attachments are real. Im very practical, but recently my daughter was very hurt i donated her childhood furniture. She is in a small apartment and has no room. Its hard when the kids want to keep sentimental items but they are just taking up space in my basement. Im thinking of telling my kids that if they want things then they are responsible for paying to store it!
Thanks for sharing Cheers 🌺🙂🥂
Hi, yes, you are correct about discarding items that you are emotionally attached to!!!! I have gone from my house to my apartment and now I am downsizing even more because I will be moving into a Class B camper van!!!!! 😳😳 I'll have to have a storage unit because some items are just to difficult to part with at this time...............😉
1500-square-foot apartment -- heck, our house is 1180 square feet, so I guess that means i can get more stuff! lol This was such a good video.
Thank you glad you enjoyed it Cheers 🙂🌺
I moved from Winnipeg to the NWT for my last 10 working years. I built a storage area in my condo basement. I retired 4 years ago. All the stuff in the basement wasnt used for 10 years. lol. It made getting rid of it easier.
Thanks for sharing Angela Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
"Frigin Martians!" That absolutely cracks me up! Hello from upstate NY. Thanks you two always good advice!
Thank you 🇺🇸🍷🇨🇦🍻
It helps yourselves. And, your children!
Downsizing is a lifelong project that ends when you die.
Yikes 😱 Robert that’s a bit drastic Cheers 🙂🍻
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Leaving your kids with a pile of unwanted stuff when you expire is not a great inheritance.
Very amusing 😄.🎉. I'm doing it very slowly when the mood takes me 😂 . Emotional attachment is my downfall my mum died 33 years ago, and I just cannot part with her bone China dinner service which she never used and I've never used!!!! what's that all about. I only keep it cos she loved it . I need to get a grip. Great chat thanks to both 😅x
Your very welcome Maxine 🌺🙂🍷
Here's a little tip: as soon as the faintest glimmer of downsizing broaches your mind, when walking through stores start looking at everything on the shelves as just more boat anchors on your life. It will cause you to look at all the junk you have as not really needed. Gotta shift the mindset to deaccumulation mode.
Very true thanks 🙂🍻
I down size every 6 months i love living with a clean and a minimalist mindset , we would in America be dept free is we would only buy what we truly need , its a disgrace what people accumulate,
Great idea Elizabeth thank you 🇺🇸🙂🌺🇨🇦
I am giving my daughter items every month for her to sell on Mercari. She's using that money to cover living costs during college. Even with scholarships and savings, rent, food, and personal expenses add up!
Sounds a great idea 👍🙂
It’s absolutely normal to downsize in “waves.” As you do it, you gradually get better at seeing what is truly “extra” and begin to enjoy the SPACE you now have. It becomes fun to take away another layer and another . . .
Thanks Susan for sharing have a wonderful weekend Cheers ☕️🙂🍷
Really good topic! Glad you shared your experience. I like your idea and practice....Eternal downsizing is retirement! And it makes sense that as time passes you become less attached. Keeping it real so people do not feel too badly about not downsizing enough. Good one this week! 💯👍 🇨🇦
Your welcome glad you enjoyed it Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
👍🍁🇨🇦@@ThisIsOurRetirement
Thanks so much for this timely video. My Dad always said that we are slaves to the things we own. The emotional pull of "stuff" is hard to overcome, yet we keep trying. Thanks again!
Your very welcome Lynn Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
Keith doesn’t miss cutting grass. We haven’t downsized yet….but we pay someone to mow. Great information and talk as always guys!
Thanks for watching guys take care 🇺🇸🙂🌺🇨🇦
Downsizing never ends…we are so accustomed to accumulating, we always have a donation bin going at home. My mother who is 86, is constantly culling her belongings.
Thanks for sharing Sharon Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
We spent 18 months clearing out and deep cleaning while we were house-hunting. Unfortunately we also had inherited stuff from parents and siblings. Albums of photos in quadruplicate or people we didn’t know, narrowed down now to one small bin. We decided to downsize in steps and moved to a smaller house (3 floors to 2) with no lawn, no sidewalks, no eaves. A snow removal service does the driveway. Sold on Facebook Marketplace or NextDoor what we could, gave away a lot, trashed the rest. Still give stuff away but we will be ready for the next move.
Eternal Downsizing - now that's a concept. Sounds like an ad for cremation - hahaha You two are cute. This isn't a problem for us. Minimalism is so freeing - the stuff just weighs you down.
Awesome!
Already retired early into a 1 bedroom apt but I'm also planning to move at the end of my lease... in 12 months. Gotta keep decluttering (as you said as a lifelong thing) not just to make moving easier but to keep things organized for my family to sort through should I pass. Funny I ran into a book yesterday at the library called "Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff". My goal is to clear out my condo storage so that it's just my winter tires.
Sounds like a good book 📖 Cheers 🙂🌺🍻
We struggle to hold on , we struggle to let go
So true 🌺
Downsizing. Ugh I think that’s what stops me from fully retiring 🤣🤣🤣🎉. But I’m practicing retiring , and starting decluttering while working. Aww I love how you remember the camera and pics you took. Someone will buy your well loved and cared for things. Best of luck. ❤❤
We think it’s an ongoing process that we haven’t fully handled yet Kathy 🍷🌺
Oh my goodness, you are so absolutely right! We are old have moved twice in the last ten years and still have so much stuff. Husband just cannot part with things, but everything you said is so very true. Thanks for a great video. What you say is always so true and you make it so enjoyable to watch.
You are so welcome! Cheers Caroleanne 🌺🙂
I don't regard downsizing as getting rid of stuff. I regard it as letting go of the past, as choosing what must remain with me. My difficulty is my library.
Good way to look at it a fresh look at things June thanks 🌺🍷
Well here I was already to come by for a drink...but now I hear you don't have enough glasses !! LOL LOL Truly I think this was sage advice...downsizing becomes a lifestyle that continues well into retirement. The good thing about doing it NOW is you can decide what to do with it...not someone else after you've died. It becomes a hardship for whoever is charged with getting rid of the STUFF.
Thanks for watching Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
"Purging" is "freeing" :)
Absolutely it is we agree with that 👍🙂
❤ I started my own space downsizing, I can’t force that concept on anyone else, but that’s not an excuse for not doing it. I figure if I do it first, there will be less one person to take care of when the time comes 🎉🎉🎉😊
My hubby is a pack rat and hangs onto everything. Thinks some stuff will be valuable one day. Kids don’t want any of it. I have no attachment to this house of 36 yrs, furniture is old, and I would like to clear out 2/3’s of it.
Good luck 🙂🍻
Let it go....let it go! Hi guys. Really interesting topic. I've moved home a few times. Decluttering is an important topic. I can never believe how much useless stuff I have to get rid of, especially as I also moved from a house to an apartment. Nobody wants this stuff so get rid! Congratulations on another excellent video. 🙏👊👍💪☘️
Thank you so glad you enjoyed it Cheers 🌺🙂🍻
This video and the comments of people make me realize what a meaningless consumerist society we live in. I am now a minimalist but you really have to watch for clutter creep. I try to buy only what I really need. I always say stuff equals stress. Best to buy nothing… and save money and stress. Great video Norm and Tina! 💚💚💚
Thanks so much Sandra Cheers 🌺🍷🙂
I can soo relate to this. I started decluttering my home about three years ago and then our parents passed away and we had the big job of clearing out their space. Now I have boxes of stuff in my house from that. Even though we were pretty ruthless getting rid of things. There are soo many emotional items. Time to re-visit the boxes and sort through them. Thanks. Have a wonderful week.
Your welcome Kathi you too have a great week Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
The joke in my family is that it will take 10 years to move out of our house. LOL and I truly believe that because the emotional and historic attachment to things of my parents and my grandparents and even my great-grandparents is very hard to overcome.
Tina & Norm. I laughed when you said you went from 2000 square feet to 1500 square feet. My little house is 700 square feet. It does have a basement too. So in reality I have the same square footage as you have. Things make me edgy. I can’t stand clutter. But I have a confession. I have a bead room in the basement and its crammed full of plastic cupboards on wheels with drawers with 1000’s of beads. I will turn 70 in the spring and it bothers me that I have so many beads. My son will freak if he has to get rid of that stuff when I die. But I still make jewelry to sell so I don’t want to get tid of it yet. Most other things will be easy to sell.
Just remember Monica it’s your passion and you make jewelry so don’t worry about it Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
'Cram full of Crap', CFOC- it'll go viral!!!
We would love that to happen Kathy LOL 😂Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
I still have my Canon FTb that I bought new when I arrived in Joburg in 1970 an a ZEISS IKON my father took off a German in the war, nothing else much matters, memories are made of this.
So true William Cheers 🙂🍻
Laughed Along With You 😂🎉 10:43
Glad you enjoyed it Kevin Cheers 🙂🍻
I am looking forward to receiving my new glass.
It’s on its way Robert 🍻
I am watching this video as I write these comments. I have to commend you for your extreme candor. It opened up the whole discussion for us too. I think you did a real public service by your clarity. It is not easy to talk about but, in reality, we are not Egyptian Pharoahs. We cannot bring it with us. All the best !!!
Thanks Mary 🌺🙂
Norm and Tina! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I’m single gal retired nurse and a long time sub. I just adore both of you. I wish we could share a cocktail or two ! Norm I had the same smoldering resistance to releasing my book collection and some old music but found it liberating giving it to a local school music and library. Perhaps a local college or school or needy student might benefit from your cameras etc. I now stream all my music from anywhere on my small Bose mini wireless speakers! Gone are the days of big speakers and stereo wire!
Take care you crazy kids! Cheers! 🥂🍸🍺🍸
Thanks for watching Cheers 🌺🙂
I just recently moved from my condo to my partners home and we are sharing living expenses. I didn't have a lot of small stuff, mainly furniture but my partner does. She likes old antique stuff. We got a skip and she called it that not dumpster and she is Canadian., and gotcrid of a lot of stuff that is not saleable. We also sold quite a bit of stuff on FB market place. We still have too much stuff in my opinion but we are continuing to get rid of stuff. Goodwill is a good place to take some items to that are difficult to sell
Thanks for sharing Cheers 🌺🙂🍷
We are not ready to downsize just yet, but I pick one day a month to start growing through cabinets and closets and get rid of items that we either I longer use or no longer need. It feels awesome to get a load out of here once a month.
Great plan 👍🙂
Recently read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning" It's a great read and really makes you think about all the stuff you have accumulated over the years.
Thanks for sharing 🌺🙂
I think Tina should be a comedian 🤣🤣🤣. Just listening to you makes me smile
Thank you 🌺
Enjoy your videos!! Hubby is just retiring, sold our home in June in 8 hrs....relocated to a city where 2/3 of our kids live, so downsizing...yes! However, I have to keep reminding my hubby that we're not 80 yet...it's ok to still have hobby's, and keep things that bring us enjoyment. Having cleaned out both sets of parents homes, we definitely don't want to leave a bunch of stuff for our kids to deal with but we're not dying yet...hopefully for a very long time. It is a fine line between cleaning out the stuff, and still keeping enough stuff to still have a life!! We are renting a 1400 sq. ft. townhouse, from a 3000 sq. ft home...miss my yard so much!! Hubby is totally sold on the renting scenario, me, I'm not so sure. But I'll try it for a year and we will reassess. Seeing our kids more is the payoff!! Take care!!
Sometimes it takes longer for some people than others to adjust to a new move , retiring and to go from owning to renting , it’s a big plus for us being near to our son too . We wish you all the best Cheers 🙂🌺🍷
I enjoy your videos so much. I am trying to get rid of things in my home which is only 1600 sq ft. My kids do not want anything in our home and they do not want to live in it either. So I am starting to throw away things.
Start one room at a time that’s what we did , all the charity shops love getting what you don’t want it’s a freeing feeling Edie Cheers 🍻🙂
I found this a great video. Norm - When you referred to when your gone the kids wont want your stuff. It made me think, you know what your right, they will just bin it. Your right we get emotionally attached to stuff. So fishing being my I hobby I have given to a local fishing club all my stuff I don’t want/use for their juniors section and beginners. The giving of this and memories are worth with more than the money I’d make USD $150 at best. So thank you.
Your very welcome a wonderful idea Cheers 🙂🍻
I remember when my father in law relocated back to PORTUGAL. We were left with emptying the house. In his garage was a storage shed that was filled to the rafters. 6 truck loads later, we started seeing the back end of the shed. He was a pack rat. He passed away later in years and went to Lolé, Portugal just to do it all over again. All we brought were a few mementos that we could carry in our luggage for the flight back home. I am now struggling with my wife to downsize as she has inherited her father's desire to not discard anything.
Thanks for sharing Cheers 🙂🌺
I once read an article that was titled No One wants your stuff. It is so true. Part of the current issue is that two generations are downsizing at once - us young ones in our 60's and 70's and our parents in their 80's and 90‘S so there is a huge glut of of possessions with nowhere to go. Mom who is in the house they bought in 1952 has told us all to take what we want while she is still around. I have taken some Art Deco China painted by my great aunt. She often asks me what we will do with all her stuff that is left and I tell her that we will call a junk company who will take it all away which makes her feel better as she doesn't want it to be a burden. I downsized to a small bungalow a few years ago. It was sad to saw up my dining set and take it to the dump but I couldn't even give it away and donation centres don't want heavy brown furniture.
Very interesting Susan thanks for sharing Cheers 🌺🍷
Down sizing is a process. Our downsizing started 9 years ago and we still have 'binge moments' where we tackle the sensitive items. I can walk in any store or mall and come home empty handed. No more accumulating - just treasure what we have and minimize the 'clean out' by those cleaning up after us once we are gone. 👌🇳🇱🙋♀🇳🇿 😎🍷🍷
Thanks for sharing Anita , it’s definitely an ongoing process and if we stop buying that might help LOL 😂😂🇳🇱🍷🇨🇦🌺🙂
Another great video! You are so right about downsizing being a continual process. We are in the process of downsizing from our large home to a townhouse and we are purging. I use two methods. When it comes to the stuff you "might use someday" I use the 20/20 rule, which is I get rid of it if it is under $20 and can be replaced in 20 minutes. The other thing we are doing is Swedish 'dostadning" or death cleaning, which is eliminating unnecessary items in your home so your loved ones won't be burdened with it after you pass. Sounds morbid but it isn't. Like you, we've offered the items to our kids and if they don't want it - out it goes. There are so many places to donate your things and people will use and appreciate them instead of these things just sitting in a box. There is a great feeling you get when you free yourself from all this stuff!
Thanks for sharing Cheers 🌺🙂
We bought a book called, “From Clutter to Clarity” by Kerri Richardson really helped us! She talks about the emotional attachment to “stuff” and how to overcome it. Great advice!
I still say Fleetwood Mac was the greatest band of the 70’s. Saw them live in 1978 at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin. It was an outdoor venue and they arrived in a helicopter. Did they sell T shirts then? Idk. Wish I had one. I honestly don’t have any physical memorabilia from that night but I did marry my date. Lol
Thanks again for the video. Most things I can let go but some sentimental things I’m not ready to part with.
That’s awesome 🥂
I agree - having downsized from a large family home , we moved to a small cottage . We got riding a lot. We did fill the loft ! Today, 12 years later , emptied the loft and went to the skip. Told the children, take it or it’s going to the charity shop or skip. I’m now looking at the last bits - mainly photos and sentimental things. I’m being ruthless ❤❤
That is awesome! we need to do the same Cheers 🇬🇧🍷🇨🇦🌺🙂
Myself, I am 58 now. Since my early forties, I have been checking my stuff every year or 2. So, I ask myself have I used this or that in the last year, if not, I get rid of it. I cherish the memories more than the items. Especially my basement, I get rid of stuff instead of stacking it. I believe people get attached to just having things. By the time you save stuff for your kids , they don't want it, lol. They don't feel the same way about it that you or I do, or it is way out of date. It has worked great over the last 15 yrs. Thanks for the video. Cheers! :)
I appreciate your comment about the possibilities of how your stuff can be used by others, such as a photography student. For me I had bookshelves filled with books that I read and charished. But the books just sat on the shelf, not having their pages turned. I know what is in those books, but I needed to let them go. It helped me to imagine that those books needed to find new owners who would read them and discover the same things I once did. I gave most of my books away, keeping less than a quarter of them. I am about to redownsize them again, keeping only a few charished volumes that I revisit from time to time.
Thanks for sharing Cheers 🌺🙂
What resonated most was Tina's luggage analogy. So true - we need to be realistic about what we need for the next bit of our journey and let go what we will no longer use. Thank you for this video.😊
Your very welcome Sonia 🌺🍷🙂
We are currently in the process of downsizing to half the space we have now…our move date is less than a week away. We’ve been decluttering and taking things to Value Village and Habitat for months. Some days we think we’re doing well and then we open a closet and think oh no more stuff to deal with. We are in our mid 60s and feel happy to do this now in good health…it would be so much harder 10 yrs from now. As we get closer to our move date we become more ruthless with letting go of stuff. I’m sure the early boxes we packed have too much stuff! It’s physically and mentally exhausting. As things go out the door we feel relief. We’re happy to pay it forward and have given everything away for free, let someone else enjoy using it. Thanks for your video, it’s like you read my mind and are speaking directly to my situation. Looking forward to more of your videos.
Good luck with your move Donna 🌺🍷
Oh I love this video! Yes I am starting to do this and I made a New Years resolution to donate at least one box of stuff each month. You are so right in the emotional attachment to stuff. I have things that my parents gave me and that is hard to part with. My husband has tons of tools and is worse than me when it comes to keeping stuff. Our plan is to sell our home and move into an apartment and have the turn key lifestyle. No more cutting grass and to shovel snow. Thanks for sharing the truth about downsizing since I know it is a real challenge for me. Great video!
Your very welcome Ann be more brutal we brought tools too 🤔before you move to your apartment LOL 😂😂
Norm and Tina, I really enjoy your RUclips channel. Can relate to this issue. Lots of attachments to “stuff.”
We're slowing working on getting rid of things. It's such a challenge. We have way too many pictures and our kids don't want their childhood pictures. It's a long process! Sue & Steve Ageing Joyfully
Thanks for watching Cheers 🌺🙂🍷🍻
I’ve been thinking a lot about downsizing also. You’ve covered the things I’ve been thinking about. Thank you.
You are so welcome! Cheers 🌺🙂