Using the holidays to your downsizing benefit

You’ve got a long list of holiday to-dos, right? Buying cards, writing cards, stamping cards. Buying gifts, wrapping gifts, shipping gifts. Annual charitable donations before the tax year ends. Checking the linen and tidying the rooms for potential overnight guests. Decorating the house. And the food – oh dear, the food. Baking cookies, preparing menus to accommodate guests’ dietary needs, shoring up RSVPs, shopping, prepping, cooking.

The calendar says February is the shortest month of the year, but we all know that the year’s actual shortest month is the period between Thanksgiving and the December holidays. There’s a lot to do in a compressed amount of time.

So, it may seem odd that I’m suggesting that this is the perfect time of year to attack the to-do that’s been on your long-term list for a while: downsizing. It’s counterintuitive, I know, but you’re already doing a lot of the hard part anyway, including taking stock of what’s in those boxes, cupboards and closets.

So, as you’re doing the intel/preparation, here’s a plan for wrestling the downsizing challenge simultaneously:

Kitchen: As you plan your menus for dinner guests or prolonged overnight company, take a hard look at your kitchen appliances and gadgets. Will you be using them during the most food-centric time of year? Do you have two of some items? If you haven’t used them in a year – and won’t be using them for the upcoming holiday season – pull them out, put in a box and donate. Thrift shops and charitable organizations are looking for donations this time of year.

Boxes: Holiday decorations are those boxes in a closet, garage or attic that you only open once a year. If you’re like me, you probably have noticed that each year, you get pickier about which decorations you still display. Christmas trees may get smaller, requiring fewer ornaments. Grandchildren get older, so Santa can play a lesser role in decorating. As children and grandchildren age, menorah lightings may become less ceremonial and family-centric. Our customs – both religious and secular – adapt with our changing lives. So, as you go through those boxes, display the items that are important to you. Take pictures of the remaining decorations to see if any family members might like something, and save it for when you see them again. Otherwise, the box with the remaining decorations can become, de facto, a donation box. This is often the only time of year that donation centers will take seasonal items, so do it now!

Closets/drawers: OK, we can all confess to having those few clothing items that are only worn at the holidays ... and that most of our family members and friends have seen several years running! Now’s the time to donate those ugly sweaters, glittery tops, holiday ties, silly Santa pajamas and garish jewelry! They have served you well, but unless you think your family will be disappointed (they probably won’t be) or you have an office/neighborhood party that stipulates holiday attire (you probably don’t), go ahead and retire those old standbys.

So, in a season that’s dominated by stuff, you can be on a cheerful less-stuff crusade that will make you feel 10 pounds lighter – and cross one big item off your 2023 long-term to-do list – all at once! You’re welcome.

Enjoy the holidays, and have a peaceful new year.