How to get rid of most of your stuff and live a simpler life
One thing you should know about me and my wife, Caitlin, is that we make quick decisions. We moved in together a week after we met and got married four months after that. So four years later, when I asked her if she would consider getting rid of most of our stuff, she agreed.
Why would anyone do something like this out of the blue? The short of it is, we signed a contract to build a house. There were issues getting the property completely finished. We learned of it too late to stay in our two-bedroom place and had to move.
We ended up in a one-bedroom just up the street. Oh, and did I mention that along with all of our stuff, we brought Giselle, our 9-month-old and all of her stuff? We put Giselle in the only bedroom and turned our living room into a studio apartment.
Builder delays continued and we had enough. It was a relief to cancel the contract. Our habitat was settled for a little while. But we still had tons of boxes full of stuff and not enough space. That weekend we went through everything.
Four boxes made the cut. We sold, donated, or trashed the rest.
Our approach was simple: We kept only things that were visually appealing and served a function. Most of our stuff was ugly, served no function, or both. We donated gifts from friends and family. We now have a policy: We only accept gifts of experience — restaurant gift cards, funds towards vacations, that sort of thing.
The vast majority of our belongings came from the kitchen and closet. We flipped a coin and started with the kitchen.
Plates and bowls of varying colors pieced from different sets? Donated. Tons of dry ingredients that were used once and never again? Donated. All of those gaudy Starbucks mugs? Donated. Nonstick pots and pans that stuck to everything and looked like the inside of a coal mine? Trashed.
We bought new dishware, pots and pans with proceeds from the sale of my hockey and boxing equipment, CDs, DVDs, and a small IKEA armchair that we exclusively used as a resting spot for dirty clothes on their way to a hamper.
The closet was next. We only kept stuff we actually wore and liked. Everything else went to Goodwilll. I had suits straight out of the ‘90s and ties on their last breath — none of them worn anymore. We kept clothes that made us look like James Bond (and the girl he eventually marries and the child they have together).
Speaking of a child: We donated our daughter’s clothes that were too small and toys that she never played with. We have a large wicker basket. We donated anything that didn’t fit in that basket.
Some things were harder to part with. Paintings done by Caitlin. Books that held sentimental value, but never to be read again. A few heirlooms that just bounced from one apartment to another without seeing the light of day. In the end, we donated anything that would not be used or displayed.
We kept things we absolutely adore and love using. We wear all of the clothes hanging in our closet and use everything in our cupboards. We had more open space in our one-bedroom than we did in our two-bedroom.
In November, we moved into a three-bedroom townhouse in West Charlotte, but we stuck to our minimalist approach, even with all the extra space. We love this new life, and we haven’t looked back.
Photos: Aleksandr Milmeyster
This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 8:02 PM.