Many people are aware of this term but none more than senior citizens, I believe. As seniors, we have lived a long time and have usually had a full life. Thus, we have accumulated a full life’s worth of stuff. As we grow older, we eventually have to move to a smaller place and have to “downsize” that stuff.
I was in the middle of “upsizing” when I became ill and was divorced a few years ago; then, I became a downsizer pro. At that time I had a four bedroom house with two large bathrooms, a screened porch across the entire back of my house, a ½ acre yard, a filled in pool, a two car garage, and all the stuff that went along with it.
I sold furniture, yard equipment, china, crystal, pool decorations, yard ornaments, and outdoor Christmas decorations - everything it seemed that was not nailed down. I had three garage sales, got to know Craigslist quite well, and met several very nice people in the elimination process. I had two wonderful friends who were there the whole way. Their whole families were involved in packing my POD when I sold my house and moved.
I moved several hundred miles away and downsized into a small house with a fenced backyard for my two dogs. After 1 ½ years there and diminishing funds, I realized that I needed to downsize some more and move to a small apartment. I could not afford the rent in the city that I had chosen, so I found one in another state.
It was time to downsize again - this time to a 570 square foot apartment. I did all this online and found a decent place to live in a small town. I sold all my dining room furniture, my extra bed, the rest of my crystal and fine china, all the table linens I had for the dining room table, my “man cave” couch, the portable dishwasher ( purchased for the little house), most of my pictures, and so much more. Then I gave to Goodwill – four carloads with the trunk and all seats filled. I was wondering then how I still had so much stuff. I had to pay people this time to load my POD and I set off in my car (full with stuff) to my new apartment.
I found out that I cannot live just yet in such a small apartment without a dishwasher, washer, and dryer so I am moving in a few weeks (still in the same complex) to a two bedroom apartment. I can move my desks and computer equipment out of the living room into the extra bedroom. I can get my washer and dryer out of storage, and my dogs will have a very small patio to use (no yard, but they are learning to be good apartment dogs).
When the time comes (I hope in the distant future) that I have to go somewhere to be cared for, I guess I will have to downsize once more. Some of us seniors eventually end up with nothing. That makes it easy for the heirs to dispose of our remaining “stuff.”
But for now, I am OK. I still have a little of my former stuff and all the memories that go with it. Most of all, I am also OK without all my previous stuff (although I miss some of it every once in a while).
I was in the middle of “upsizing” when I became ill and was divorced a few years ago; then, I became a downsizer pro. At that time I had a four bedroom house with two large bathrooms, a screened porch across the entire back of my house, a ½ acre yard, a filled in pool, a two car garage, and all the stuff that went along with it.
I sold furniture, yard equipment, china, crystal, pool decorations, yard ornaments, and outdoor Christmas decorations - everything it seemed that was not nailed down. I had three garage sales, got to know Craigslist quite well, and met several very nice people in the elimination process. I had two wonderful friends who were there the whole way. Their whole families were involved in packing my POD when I sold my house and moved.
I moved several hundred miles away and downsized into a small house with a fenced backyard for my two dogs. After 1 ½ years there and diminishing funds, I realized that I needed to downsize some more and move to a small apartment. I could not afford the rent in the city that I had chosen, so I found one in another state.
It was time to downsize again - this time to a 570 square foot apartment. I did all this online and found a decent place to live in a small town. I sold all my dining room furniture, my extra bed, the rest of my crystal and fine china, all the table linens I had for the dining room table, my “man cave” couch, the portable dishwasher ( purchased for the little house), most of my pictures, and so much more. Then I gave to Goodwill – four carloads with the trunk and all seats filled. I was wondering then how I still had so much stuff. I had to pay people this time to load my POD and I set off in my car (full with stuff) to my new apartment.
I found out that I cannot live just yet in such a small apartment without a dishwasher, washer, and dryer so I am moving in a few weeks (still in the same complex) to a two bedroom apartment. I can move my desks and computer equipment out of the living room into the extra bedroom. I can get my washer and dryer out of storage, and my dogs will have a very small patio to use (no yard, but they are learning to be good apartment dogs).
When the time comes (I hope in the distant future) that I have to go somewhere to be cared for, I guess I will have to downsize once more. Some of us seniors eventually end up with nothing. That makes it easy for the heirs to dispose of our remaining “stuff.”
But for now, I am OK. I still have a little of my former stuff and all the memories that go with it. Most of all, I am also OK without all my previous stuff (although I miss some of it every once in a while).
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