Making Progress, But Inundated with "Stuff"

[JudyJB]

I closed on my condo, sold my car and am transferring the title and turning it over tomorrow, finished my last day of work last week, signed up for Medicare and a Medigap and prescription program, so I am making progress to that first day of being on the road permanently.

However, I am still not completely packed up for my June 16 move, and you should see the mess I have created!!! I have been working at sorting and cleaning stuff out and packing for several months, but I am STILL not done. Good part is that my kitchen cupboards are almost bare and dressers have been almost completely emptied. Bad news is that I have so many partial boxes and piles of stuff on the floor that I can barely walk through it all!

I have toe surgery scheduled for Monday, and my son is coming up from Ohio for the surgery, so he will take back all of the garage sale stuff I have sorted out. Then, hopefully, I have a handyman and helper coming on Tuesday to carry down some old dressers, a couple of old TVs, and some other furniture that needs to go into the garage so I can call someone to pick it up. That should help somewhat.

I've been stuffing boxes that will go into longterm storage into my second bedroom. Next week as I recuperate from this very minor surgery, I will pack up my china cabinet, the remaining groceries, and my remaining clothing. I just hope everything goes where it is supposed to go--right stuff into storage and right stuff into RV. I can visualize myself just before I leave crawling over boxes and trying to find stuff.

I can understand people who say they have no time for anything after retirement! I am worn out already and have only been retired for a week.

[Dawn309]

I just had to laugh. I am just getting started at cleaning everything out. I am amazed at how much stuff Chuck and I have collected. I don't know how I will get this finished in about a month's time. I have to congratulate you. You are way ahead of me.

[Echo]

I just hope everything goes where it is supposed to go--right stuff into storage and right stuff into RV. I can visualize myself just before I leave crawling over boxes and trying to find stuff.

Yep!

[avalen]

I just hope everything goes where it is supposed to go--right stuff into storage and right stuff into RV. I can visualize myself just before I leave crawling over boxes and trying to find stuff.

Yep!

Yep, Echo knows the routine quite well

[snowball]

Judy
good luck with it...one thing that you are probably doing is writing on the box or bin whats in that container and then have a place on the computer tell you where what is number the boxes somehow fix it so that if you have to go look got a good idea what to look in
sheila

[JudyJB]

Yes, Dawn, but it is embarassing how long I have been working at this--at least 6 months. If you can do it in a month, you will deserve some sort of award!!!

When I moved into my condo in 1997 from the house where I had lived for 24 years, I got rid of at least half of what I owned. I can't believe how much junk I have accumuated in the past 15 years. Guess I did not learn my lesson from then. It will be nice to be relatively stuff-free. Also, my mother gave me her silver tea set when she was in her 50s. I am finally passing it on to one son and giving my sterling flatware to the other son. Other family stuff is going to them and to my niece, and it is about time I did this. Time for them to enjoy it all.

My younger son asked me how I was handling the move, meaning did I mind giving up my condo and car and things? Answer is not at all. To repurpose Martin Luther King's words: "Free at last. Free at last!"

[JudyJB]

Yes, Sheila, I am doing that and a lot of it is in clear boxes, but I am convinced I am going to misplace important stuff.

And, Mitch, I am carefully packing my wine in bubble wrap and into a heavy box which will stay underneath my bunk/dinette seats inside the RV, so it will stay in good condition for the get-together in Texas, at least. (I can also add to it when I stay with my son in Napa in August, if necessary.)

[Dawn309]

I am going to Wally World today to start getting clear plastic bins today. The list on the computer sounds like a good idea. I had not thought of that. I have one room almost cleaned out. Still have the rest of the house to go. I figure when I get to get my MH, I am going to have to cull even more. I have found 3 different sweaters I had started and then put in the top of the guest room closet. I had completely forgotten them. I am going to put all these and my yarn in space bags so hopefully I can pack this stuff easier and then I can finish the sweaters when I get on the road. I am going to space bag my fabric stash too. I mostly want my craft stuff and some clothes so everything else is going to the kids. Just have to get them to come and get. Going to try to get them to come after everything starting this coming weekend.

[Nasoosie]

It's so good to read of the travails of others as I, too, undertake the "Stuff" stuff! I have only 4 empty, large clear storage bins right now, and will need dozens more from Wally's as soon as I can get there----our Wally's is 40 miles away, one way. Into those bins I now have will be sorted my books. Many are antiques, many are sentimental sets, like "Journies Through Bookland" which were the first books ever read to me by my mom, and then the first books I read by myself, and many are historical and old, and some are just old college texts which can be tossed! I have tons of wildlife guide books, too, which I definitely wish to keep.

Time to get moving here----I will be thinking of you sharing this glorious job as I prowl through more stuff today!

[Carolinagal]

Nice to not be the only one dealing with "stuff". Not sure when i will get back to mine, but can't think of anything I need or miss . Several items want the kids to have, but they know this.

My car is out here and already sold to a young college girl, it will be a good one for her. I know I don't want to tow, and not sure this would be a candidate anyway for towing. My rig is so easy to handle, and with my visits etc., don't see an inconvience for me, almost 12 yrs. and never found a need for a tow yet. Down the line, I will have that option, if I find things to be different. But for now, the less responsibllity I have the happier I am.

Good luck ladies, especially you Dawn, I month, I've been sorting, throwing for couple of yrs, when I have been there to do it LOL

Getting good ideas from here, always up for new ideas, that work better.

Make a few mins. each day for you, away from Stuff,

CArol

[Travelinana]

My house is now for sale (fsbo) to start with. I hope to get what I want for it and leave the furniture. I will have a storage building as I can't imagine getting rid of everything. I have a small fortune invested in clear containers but they are worth it. I will need more I'm sure. I can't seem to get rid of my 'divorce' clothes fast enough..I keep taking them to the consignment store and they grow back, I swear. I have a friend who came home from NM to have an estate sale at her mom's house. She got rid of everything and it went cheap. I hope I don't have to go this route. There are some things I will give away but not sell for 2 dollars. The storage room will be at my son's where I am putting in a pad so what I want to save for my kids will be in it. I will post as I make progress and keep reading yours. This way we can encourage each other when it become overwhelming.

[JudyJB]

Just a tip for those of you de-junking your lives as I am: Women's shelters are always looking for office-type, slightly dressy clothing that is still in good condition. Suits for job interviews are especially needed.

I donated a lot of stuff several years ago, but my most recent work situation was jeans, with only occasional business casual dress needed, so I don't have any suits and such left. (I did pack away a couple of pairs of dressier slacks and tops, just in case, however.)

[Echo]

I just hope everything goes where it is supposed to go--right stuff into storage and right stuff into RV. I can visualize myself just before I leave crawling over boxes and trying to find stuff.

Yep!

Yep, Echo knows the routine quite well

Oh wow, do I ever! Did another purge before we left AZ. And we still have way to much stuff!!! Kelly did an awesome job at going thru her stuff and getting rid of a lot of it. I still have ? 5 or 6 boxes to really get mean with. I have also made up my mind to go thru my clothes and get rid of a bunch of them too. I am determined to to pare the clothes down to where I only have a weeks worth. I'm not really a clothes horse, but dang I didn't realize I had so many!!

I know Beth has her rule of "one new item in, one old item out". But then she did confess that she didn't follow that rule cause she bought the sundresses!

For me? I think that this is an ongoing job.

[Acadianmom]

I just recently got around to labeling some of the boxes stored in our old house because I got tired of going through the same boxes again and again looking for things. I just found a title I have been looking for. I had all the vehicle and equipment titles in a file box except one. It went under water but titles are printed on good paper. We lost CD's, birth certificates and marriage license. They can be replaced but it's a pain to lose them.

Just a FYI, get the good plastic or rubber containers not the cheaper ones that WAlmart sells. The cheap ones don't hold up.

Martha

[Dawn309]

Good to know, Martha, on the containers. I definitely want them to hold up. I am thinking I will use space bags too for my yarn and fabric stash. I went through 1 closet and got it down to about half yesterday. Still too many clothes and I have another closet to go through of my clothes. I know I am going to have to get rid of a bunch more. I do have a lot of suits and office wear, so the women's shelter is a good idea. Darla wants everything first that I am getting rid of. She can take anything she doesn't want there.

I am beginning to think I will put a bunch in plastic bins and sort after get on the road if I cannot get it all done in time after we close on the property. Don't EVER want to do this again! Echo, I cannot believe you have had to do this 3 times. You are a glutton for punishment!