It could have so many meanings, but in our case it is getting rid of stuff. It is amazing how quickly one accumulates "stuff". To think, just a few years ago we had sold everything and had no stuff. But I guess it has been almost 10 years since we got off the road and that is plenty of time to fill every nook and cranny with stuff we hardly use.
So over the past several weeks we have been on a mission to purge. Throw away, give away, or sell stuff we have not touched in years. A tote fill of old cell phones, broken or unused cameras, the bike I just "had to have" when we went on the road. (I think I rode it maybe 10 times), our inflatable kayak that had been replaced with hard-sided ones a year or so ago.
How does one get rid of all this "stuff"? Garage sale was our first answer, we have set a date for early May. So, we set about going through closets, the loft in the garage, the shed, sorting out things we had not uses in years. Some of it we decided to list on Facebook and eBay. We have not used eBay in years and was amazed at how much they take in fees compared to 10 years ago. But it is an effective means of reaching a wide audience. So far, we have sold over $600 worth of stuff. Barb sold one of her old belt buckles for over $100! I sold a broken camera for $50.
For those items that are harder to ship, or we did not need to reach a broader audience, we used Facebook Marketplace. Those of you who are friends with us on Facebook have probably seen a few of our marketplace ads in your feed. A utility cart went for $60, the old rack for the Jeep $55, DVD set for $30, spotting scope for $50, turkey decoys for $60. We still have a number of things listed that have not sold yet. This bike rack we have not used in 6 years, they are going for almost $400 new! And remember that new fish finder I got Barb for her birthday a couple years ago? I have not used my old one since.
What kills me is the crap that people spend money month after month to store. After a year(s) of paying storage fees it has to far exceed the value of the contents. When we sold everything and went on the road, we sold literally everything, except a few mounts and a couple of totes which we stored at family/friend's houses. We did not know how long we were going to be on the road but figured that any furniture we did have would be out of date or not fit into our new home, so we got rid of everything.
This couple also goes to garage sales, estate sales and even Goodwill to find things to resell for a profit. I told Barb that we should buy a storage unit on auction and we could become millionaires! She was like "Oh hell no!" I know at least one of you out there (Granny Sue) knows that while there is money to be made out there, it is a lot of work, and you certainly will not become a millionaire.
Be warned though, once you watch one of their videos you get sucked in and next thing you know an hour (sometimes two) has gone by.
So, what else have we been up to this week?
Even the best of us are still consumers in a society based on consuming. I too am constantly purging trying to stay on top of things so we don’t end up being labeled as hoarders by our descendants. In fact, I hope to do a heavy culling in our basement storage room this summer when it is way to hot to spend time outdoors.
ReplyDeleteYou just know our kids/relatives will throw or giveaway a lot of the stuff we have been treasuring for years.
DeleteGood for you guys! We so need to have a "purge!" Mike never throws anything away--we have two garages and a huge equipment shed filled with stuff! Those stairs look mighty steep in your garage??
ReplyDeleteThey are a little steep and with no railings. We have several friends who refuse to go up them!
DeleteI love your energy! Good job on selling. I do the same - only as a business.
ReplyDeleteDoing that for a living intrigues me, but it looks like a lot of work.
DeleteI have a ton of stuff to get rid of, but am hesitant to put anything on marketplace. Strange people coming to my house doesn't thrill me. I have however left things out on the street which magically disappear overnight. No worries, you will fill up those empty spaces quickly with all the NEW things you are going to buy! Nice Jeep!!!
ReplyDeleteWe meet people in town at the grocery store quite often. Sometimes the item is too big for that and they have to come to our house though.
DeleteWe have many of the same things on your purge list to get rid of too. I did recently sell our blue flame propane heater we used to heat the trailer when boon docking so it’s a slow start on purging. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI have a campfire in a can that I have not used in quite a while, but I just cannot get myself to sell it!
DeleteAs Ray and I have moved many times over the years, purging comes easy for us mostly. Every couple of years we go through cupboards and closets. After full-timing we still kind of adhere to the rule when something moves in something goes out lol Keep up the great work and don't buy a storage locker :)
ReplyDeleteWe adhered to that rule for the first couple of years, but now it is out of control!
DeleteI never understood why people get a storage unit to put things they haven't used in years! Congrats on the purging and making a few $$ too! :) Ken and Shirley
ReplyDeleteOne thing I learned is that people will sometimes use storage units just to get rid of stuff. Like if someone dies, relatives will just put their stuff into a storage unit with no intention of paying their bill.
DeleteWow that's pretty dirty!!
DeleteI don't know what happens around here because as soon as we do a good purge, it seems like months later we need to do it again. Same here with a bike I thought I had to have. Purchased it for 75.00...rode it about 10 times...sold it for 125.00 so I figure it I made 5.00 on each ride. Your loft is neat...lots of room to add more items for your next purge
ReplyDeleteAt least you made money on your bike! I am for sure going to lose a couple hundred dollars on mine.
DeleteWe got rid of a lot of stuff when we moved, but there were some items I wasn't ready to let go of and they are living in the small basement storage unit. A couple of times a year I look around and see if there's anything I no longer need.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of our stuff scattered in different places, it should be easier with everything in one place like that.
DeletePurging such a fun activity. It is amazing how quickly stuff accumulates. Tom really enjoyed listing stuff on Marketplace as we emptied the house. The week we signed the final papers selling the house, Tom cut the grass, listed the lawnmower, and within an hour he had cash in hand as the lawnmower left in someone else's trunk. Though we are those people with a storage unit...lol Keep having fun getting rid of stuff!
ReplyDeleteWhy do I have the feeling that you are storing things that are probably worth storing and not just a bunch of boxes filled with junk?
DeleteWe need to purge quite a bit, I do use Facebook Marketplace and it works well for me. I have some things that need to go on ebay and yes it costs more to sell there and shipping/mailing costs have went up also. My husband needs to purge some of his tools and I am waiting for just the right time to mention that!
ReplyDeleteI have a couple things that I want to get that I just cannot justify, now, with this "free" money, I just might get a couple of them!
DeleteDon’t even get me started on purging and storage units! You know who I live with!!😂
ReplyDeleteYeah, but your stuff is probably valuable enough to justify a storage unit.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI try not to keep too much, we have purged once before and probably need to do it again. Good luck with your yard sale. Have a wonderful weekend.
We are set for the second weekend in May, which is perfect as I will probably be at the farm!
DeleteLove your blog, been following for a few years now. I’m amazed at your energy and drive and knowledge. You do more in a weekend than I’d do in a year. Marie, Melbourne, Australia
ReplyDeleteThanks for following! I highly doubt you statement is true, but we do have a hard time sitting still.
DeleteWe've got the 'might need that tomorrow or next year' mentality around here. Not a bad thing in some ways, as replacement costs go up, but stuff does tend to build up. Glad you are getting projects done.
ReplyDeleteFor us, that mentality just does not work. When it comes time to needing that item that I saved for just that moment, I can never find it! Well, until I but a new one, then I find the old one the next day.
DeleteYou know, Frank Lloyd Wright didn’t put closets in his houses because he said it encouraged hanging onto things they didn’t need. I can only imagine what he would have thought about storage units.
ReplyDeleteThat is a new one to me. Genius, but I do not think I could live be it.
Deletepurging...we did a big one a few years ago and have kept things pretty streamlined. there is a pit o "crap" in the basement, most of it belongs to my boys. so i am leaving it for them to clean up when i die!! seems you did well on facebook marketplace!!
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of Forrest and Somer's stuff up in the loft. When they get off the road and into someplace permanent, they are going to get it all back!
DeleteI purge all the time because I only have 3 closets.
ReplyDeleteThat what was nice about living in the RV, we had limited space and were forced to get rid of stuff we did not use.
DeleteI'm glad that the fire in the previous post was contained. It does seem like the weather/lack of moisture is likely to lead to more dangerous conditions this year. Our province was particularly hard hit last year - this year is likely to be no different.
ReplyDeleteAh, purging - it's amazing how quickly we gather things up. I went through a major purge when I retired but I've now three places where I keep things.
Good luck with the garage sale and on-going on-line sales.
The garage sale should be interesting. Our hope is to come home with nothing at all even if it means giving stuff away.
DeleteHow good it is to get a clean out or have a clean out and get money for some of those 'things'. The loft is looking great and Barb is doing a mighty job with her painting in her workshop.
ReplyDeleteThose containers are costly to store 'stuff' in as we had to do it for a short time when my parent's passed before we took their furniture and 'stuff' to an auction. So much we gave away.
Another thing I learned is that when someone is evicted, the home/apartment owner has to hold the tenants property for 90 days. Sometimes the owners just put it in a storage locker and let it go to auction.
DeleteI think many of us are going through things now, sorting, and giving away. It's good of you to be doing this, and it's always nice to give away things that we no longer want or need. I've always loved garage sales, and I wish you well at your garage sale in May. I started downsizing gradually about 10 years ago, so it's never been a big ordeal, but I know people who have done it all at once and have to have a storage unit cause there's no room in the house. One of my favorite mottos is "out with the old, in with the new." Although I appreciate some old treasures, I think some people have way too much stuff. I enjoyed your post, and I know this is an interest to many of us.
ReplyDeleteI would not categorize us as minimalists, nor hoarders, probably someplace in the middle, and cleaning out the nooks and crannies should keep us that way!
DeleteI think I read your post and then didn't get back to commenting. It is amazing how much "stuff" we collect over the years. we really need to have a garage sale this year for sure. Happy new week
ReplyDeleteWe have been threatening to have a garage sale for several years, this year we are going to make it happen!
DeleteWe are in the same boat, I just saw a cartoon about a dad opening up his stuffed to the gills garage and saying to his son, all this will be yours one day son. Made me laugh, I immediately showed it to the hubs. Barb is impressive not only for the painting she is getting done but also standing on that high ladder. We will have a big purge on our hands this year, so I'll be paying attention to how yours goes. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteIt is going well, the eBay items are slow but the customers are reliable. Marketplace customers are not nearly as reliable. Several want to trade, some want delivery, but most are good customers.
DeleteYou are doing great.👍 I love to clean and organize...and purge.
ReplyDeleteWe are the same. Although some may call it organized chaos!
DeleteWe’ll be moving soon, and the amount of stuff we’ve accumulated is overwhelming. I don’t even know where to start with the purging--it feels like every closet and corner is packed with things we haven’t touched in years. Reading about your progress gives me hope that we can tackle it bit by bit and maybe even make a little money back in the process.
ReplyDeleteOne closet at a time; keep, sell, donate. Daunting for sure, but you will get through it!
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