battlemaiden Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I. have. so. much. stuff. We're in the process of unpacking. This house has very little storage (something I had a lot of in our last home). I'm really good at storing. ;) I was determined to pare down during this process and not keep stuff that we barely look at, much less use. The fact is, we have a big family. I don't have the luxury to dump baby gear or toddler toys or elementary age goods- we are still using ALL those things. The stuff I struggle with is jackets, winter clothes, bedding, towels, and toys. Oh...and books. Although, I don't need to get rid of those, just find a place for them all when my wall space is all spoken for. I'm getting rid of a lot but I am not accomplishing "simplicity" as I picture it. We just don't live a "simple" life. Any ideas? Any "I hear ya"? I need encouragement. Thanks ya'll! Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 How much baby gear do you really need? How many coats? How many sweaters? This is what I have to do when trying to "simplify" because we need more room. Since that isn't an option, I have to live with less stuff! We have 6dc with another on the way. We have 1300 square feet and no basement (but I do have a shed.) My dc have limited clothes, limited shoes, and limited toys. I even had to limit books! We have a lot, but not near as many as I used to. We're likely to have to go into a smaller space soon, so I am rethinking what I *have* to have. Bedding - I set of sheets per bed. If there is an accident, they sleep on the floor. Every one has two blankets (one in summer, two for winter.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2GirlsTX Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Are you sure that YOU have to much stuff? ;) Did you mean you have alot of stuff that belong to your kids? :) How simple can life be with six little ones and one on the way? Seriously, you just moved and with the kids sometimes it is hard to simplify. I was totally neck deep in stuff when my kids were younger, and I have simplified alot, but my kids are 8 and 10 which is easier to cut down than it is with little ones. I don't have any advice other than just ignore the clutter and enjoy those babies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Are you sure that YOU have to much stuff? ;) Did you mean you have alot of stuff that belong to your kids? :) How simple can life be with six little ones and one on the way? Seriously, you just moved and with the kids sometimes it is hard to simplify. I was totally neck deep in stuff when my kids were younger, and I have simplified alot, but my kids are 8 and 10 which is easier to cut down than it is with little ones.I don't have any advice other than just ignore the clutter and enjoy those babies! This is what I am coming to realize. Most of my challenges are with the children gear. This isn't really a simple time, is it? I am a simple person at heart, but I'm also very practical. I don't throw away stuff that we use. I did just throw away every pair of socks except my favorite running pairs. Proud of me? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 How much baby gear do you really need? How many coats? How many sweaters? This is what I have to do when trying to "simplify" because we need more room. Since that isn't an option, I have to live with less stuff! We have 6dc with another on the way. We have 1300 square feet and no basement (but I do have a shed.) My dc have limited clothes, limited shoes, and limited toys. I even had to limit books! We have a lot, but not near as many as I used to. We're likely to have to go into a smaller space soon, so I am rethinking what I *have* to have. Bedding - I set of sheets per bed. If there is an accident, they sleep on the floor. Every one has two blankets (one in summer, two for winter.) Oh my. 1300sq ft is less than us! Good job. I do need to limit clothes. I don't buy a lot of clothes but the hand me downs have accumulated and the out of season clothes- which we won't use in Hawaii- need to be sorted, pitched, or donated. It's a huge project...as you know. Thanks for your encouragement. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfarm Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Simplicity is a state of mind. A person can opt for a "simple" life, meaning they want fewer material posessions, but when the kids need socks and you got rid of those hand-me-downs that would have fit, that definitely doesn't simplify your life! (And certainly doesn't isn't conducive to frugal finances!) Simplicity doean't always mean less. Perhaps a better option would be to go for organized instead of simple. Sort through all those things that are giving you grief and discard worn out or broken things, repair what can be salvaged, and store in properly sized containers that are clearly labeled. Then hide them under the bed, in the garage, attic, wherever you can, list their location on a master list and then forget about them. Then on to the next irritating group of items and the same process. For me, getting rid of mental clutter is just as freeing if not more so than ditching physical clutter. The peace I feel about not having to frequently deal with that nagging feeling I get when I see those items piled around is incredible. And I feel a real sense of satisfaction about being organized--being a good steward, being prepared, cutting out duplicate purchases, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I like the clothes storing method outlined in the TIghtwad Gazette. I have (should say had since I have pared down even more, but I digress) one med. to large rubbermaid container per size pair (3/4, 5/6, 7/8, etc through two sizes bigger than my oldest kid) for each sex (i.e. there's a boy 3/4 box and a girl 3/4 box). Each box has a list of necessary items and the number of each item needed per size. (I think I still have the list somewhere on my computer, I can send it if you want it and I can find it :001_smile: ). Every time I place an item in the box, I check off the item on the list. If I go to put an item in the box and that category is maxed out (for example, I need 3 pairs of jeans but am about to add a fourth), I go through all the items in that category, pick the best, and toss or donate or scavenge from the overflow. When I switch clothes over at the start of a new season, I go through my stored clothing first then supplement with purchased items (usually from yard sales and thrift stores). Now that my kids are getting older and we are not sure if we are going to have more kids and we seem to get more hand-me-downs from others than we can use, I just have a maternity/ newborn-6month box (my dh calls this the "Surprise!" box) but just get rid of everything else as my youngest grows out of it. If there is a special outfit, I may put it in the appropriate kid's treasure box. Don't really have any advice on other stuff. I was going to suggest moving with a small truck... we moved 6 people 1,000 miles from a 4 bedroom, 1200sqft house with a basement to a 3 bedroom, ~1,000sqft house with no basement in a 17' foot van last summer; if it didn't fit in the van, it didn't go. That forced us to pare down quite a bit, but you've already used the moving method, so I'm not sure what else to suggest. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 The stuff I struggle with is jackets, winter clothes, bedding, towels, and toys. Oh...and books. Although, I don't need to get rid of those, just find a place for them all when my wall space is all spoken for. Why the struggle with bedding and towels? That's one thing that jumped out at me because I definitely don't have any excess there. As for books, I actually don't have many, comparatively speaking. I don't like to accumulate an excessive amount of anything, even books. Not when I live in a culture that offers libraries. Toys are minimal around here, too. I guess all I can say in the way of encouragement is to assure of what you already know: You rarely miss what you move out. And once you pare down, don't go back to accumulating. I'm getting rid of a lot but I am not accomplishing "simplicity" as I picture it. We just don't live a "simple" life. Oh, yeah, I definitely hear ya. Heck, I could own next to nothing right now and I still wouldn't feel life was "simple". Everything just feels complicated, kwim? Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in Austin Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 To me, simplicity means "we don't have extra stuff and what we have is well-organized and, as much as possible, out of sight." One idea that I have mentioned before: get rid of your bed frames and box springs and replace with 18-gallon rubbermaid totes. The height is the same, so with a bedskirt, you can't tell the boxes are there. When we did this with our king, we put 18 boxes beneath it--that's an entire closet's worth of stuff! Each boy has 6 under his (twin) bed. In our old house, we also used them as end tables (covered with fabric, wainscotting, and then plexiglass). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 You can store the extra sheet set/blanket in between the mattress and boxspring. That'll free up some room. FWIW, Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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