My husband and I moved from Connecticut to Sussex County nearly four years ago, and we bravely faced the exhausting process of sorting and filtering our stuff as we packed boxes. We disposed of many items by dutifully taking them to donation centers, or as a last resort, throwing them in the trash or the recycle bin.
One thing we did bring to our new home, quite unfortunately, is “Justin Case.” He occasionally haunts us to this day.
You also know Justin Case, and have probably invoked his name many, many times. He’s the spirit that defends all the items in your closets, cupboards, crawlspaces and attics.
“I wore this dress to my niece’s wedding 20 years ago, haven’t worn it since, and rarely attend fancy events ... but I’ll hold onto it, Justin Case.”
He holds us all back from disposing of items that have no immediate purpose, just so we can have a contingency plan for a hypothetical future. These items are often clothing or footwear, but can also be counter-top kitchen appliances, or fine china and silverware sets for parties or large family dinners that ended or moved to someone else’s home years ago. How about sporting equipment for bike rides, boogie boarding, waterskiing or golf that haven’t been used in a decade? And lawn equipment (hedge trimmers, weed whackers, etc.) for yards that are now managed by an HOA or landscape company. Justin Case is protecting them all, and adding to our collective clutter and chaos.
It’s time to kick Justin Case to the curb. He is not helping any of us simplify our lives and be free of the stuff we do not need, use or want.
Here’s how my husband and I started, and how I advise my clients to approach their stuff as they prepare to downsize or simply declutter. We asked ourselves three simple questions: How long ago was the last time I used this? How soon am I likely to use this again – in the next year, two years or ever? Why on earth am I holding onto this?
If Justin Case was the answer to the last question, we rinsed and repeated the first two questions.
If the answers to the first two questions included “more than a year,” those items went in the possible donation/liquidation pile.
The next thing we did – and I advise others to do – is to employ the 50/50 rule. This is the question we asked ourselves: “Can I replace this item for less than $50 by traveling no farther than 50 miles from my home?” If the answer was yes, that item earned a spot in the permanent donate/liquidate pile.
And finally, the last exercise that helped us was to list the 10 items that added the most value to our lives in the last 10 years. This 10/10 list, of course, does not include people in our lives, but can include things that are not necessarily physical possessions, like a trip or a continuing education class or another important experience. This was a meaningful exercise, because neither of us listed anything that included using the remaining items in our “possible” pile. We realized the 10 items that added most value to our lives were not things at all, but experiences.
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Stacey Himler is owner of Caring Transitions of Southern Delaware, the region’s professional solution for full relocation services including downsizing, decluttering and estate sales.
To ask Stacey questions, write her at AskStacey@caringtransitions.com.
