Operation Clean Sweep
Posted on 04. Apr, 2010 by Steph in Advice, Trip Planning
Spending Diet update! You can track how my own savings are progressing here.
So here’s the deal:
I have a LOT of stuff.
I have four bookcases full of books. I have a closet overflowing with clothes (although strangely, nothing to wear). I have drawers full of unused electronics, knick-knacks and trash. I am currently residing in my childhood bedroom and, as a result, I am dwelling amongst 25 years of accumulated junk.
A lot of it needs to go.
Creative Commons License photo credit: SarahInDisguise
Philosophically, it just feels wrong to go out into the world with all of this stuff weighing me down. If I truly believe that
everything I need to survive can fit into a 65L backpack, what is the point of owning so many things that I won’t use, or probably even think about for an entire year?
Lately I’ve been contemplating how attached people become to the things they own. We live in a very consumer driven culture where we are constantly told that our possessions define us as people. We buy iPhones and leather jackets and even cereal because it embodies the lifestyle we want to lead. As a result the physical things we own start to become not just our goals but our responsabilities. There are costs to owning things, both big and small, which we never even stop to consider. Without going TOO obnoxiously preachy on everyone I have to ask if getting so caught up in the possesing of stuff distracts us from what’s really important in life?
From a more practical standpoint, if I have all this stuff that I literally never use, doesn’t it just make sense to convert some of this into cash?
Creative Commons License photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik
There are a lot of great online resources for liquidating your things. It’s pretty much a right of passage in the online backpacking community to sell all your belongings in a short time. One of the most useful articles on this subject that I’ve found is this three part series by Never Ending Voyage (parts two and three).
In a nutshell, the internet is your best friend for turning stuff into money. There are niche websites for selling everything from your CD’s to your used underwear (I mean, if you’re into that). For everything else under the sun there is Craigslist. Some people have good results with eBay as well but that is more effort than I’m willing to put in.
Now, I’m not going to get all high and mighty here. I want to get rid of stuff, but I am NOT one of those people who can just let go of everything. For example: I am a book hoarder. I don’t care if I’ve already read them, or even if I never want to read them again, I still love them. I will do my best though. It won’t be easy, and I probably won’t be able to part with all (or even most) of them. But the effort is what’s important here.
So I’ll be getting rid of everything from paperbacks to, eventually, my car. I’ll be starting as soon as I get back from Oakland mid-month. I hope it will be a nice bump to my travel savings but even more so I hope it will be liberating.
What are your tips for cutting down on stuff?
35 Responses to “Operation Clean Sweep”
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Gray
04. Apr, 2010
My tip? Don’t buy it to begin with.
It’s pretty easy for me, because a) I’m frugal and b) I hate clutter anyway. I used to be like you about books (hey, I’m an English major), but I’ve gotten ruthless in recent years and winnowed my collection down to one bookshelf. Once a year, I go through my house and ID everything that needs to go, and just give it away. I gave up trying to make money on yard sales a long time ago. Everyone seems to want something for nothing, so they won’t even give you a fraction of what something’s worth. Maybe I’d have better luck on Craiglist.
Steph
04. Apr, 2010
The don’t buy stuff tip is one I could have used about three years ago! Hopefully once I get the volume down I can manage to keep it that way.
Daryl
04. Apr, 2010
I’m currently going to the same situation. Moving out of my parents’ place, I never realized how much junk I’ve accumulated in the past 25 years. One of the things I’ve done is go through all my drawers and closets and pull out everything I know I don’t need. I then threw it all in the trunk of my car for two weeks. If I didn’t end up needing any of it (and I didn’t!), then I gave it to a charity.
I found the two weeks that I had it in my car was comforting. It was out of sight and out of access, but I didn’t feel like I lost it. It helped me realize that I really don’t need that stuff (and it made the packing/moving much easier!)
Steph
04. Apr, 2010
I like that idea- makes the seperation anxiety go a little easier.
Alissa G
04. Apr, 2010
One thing that was secretly a blessing, was moving during my senior year of highschool from the house that I’d lived in my entire life. (holy crap I had alot of crap) Since it was a quick move, I realized I had to just sort fast, and pack light. I still managed to hoard too much stuff to the new location.
Blessing number two, was spending a year away at college- having only necessities with me. That following summer when I came home I realized I had not missed practically anything (except for a few books and stuff). So I just threw most of my crap in a box and sent it to the salvation army. (For example- did I need the dollar store perfume that someone had given me in 2nd grade for my birthday? No. Did I need the 5 year old magazines? No. Did I need the clothing that I didnt even like, but maybe wanted to wear someday? No.)
Here are some junking tips:
1. If you havent seen it in a year, or needed to use it -throw away or sell
2. If you havent touched it in six months, throw away or sell
3. If it is half emtpy something or other, and you havent used it in the past month- throw it out
4. Throw out/donate All old magazines and newspapers- cut out articles that you realllly want to keep around. But better to just get rid of
5. If someone compliments you on something you own- give it to them. You dont need it. Unless its your laptop or phone =)
6. If you havent worn clothing in the past 9 months, donate it.
I think I am more inclined to just junk things or donate them. Selling them just keeps everything around longer.
-Alissa
Steph
04. Apr, 2010
great tips! Getting rid of stuff requires a degree of ruthlessness.
Shannon OD
04. Apr, 2010
Have a friend handy is the best advice I can offer. When I was doing my packing to move back home she was there with me for hours sorting the sell/goodwill piles.
There were knickknacks and items that she put into perspective for me when I claimed a ridiculous level of attachment to what I now know were silly little possessions.
I also did my sweep in two stages. One before my RTW, and then I really was able to attack it all with more gusto once I was back – it’s going to be hard at first! (oh, and I carted at least 6 boxes of books back across the country to store at my parents house when I moved home before my RTW, so I totally get the attachement to books…they don’t fetch much of a price online, so besides the ones that should be clearly donated, keep the rest
.-= Shannon OD´s last blog ..A Little Photo…Semana Santa Celebrations in Antigua =-.
Steph
04. Apr, 2010
I always find that when I get back from traveling it is much easier to let go of all the stuff I didn’t even miss.
Becs
05. Apr, 2010
Same here! It wasn’t until I got back, that I realized I could live without most of my stuff. A great way to earn money for my broke-ass once I returned and trying to sell it filled my unemployed days. A win all around!
Alouise
04. Apr, 2010
It’s funny how we hang on to things we don’t need or even use. I was looking through my closet and saw a t-shirt I had from a science project in grade 5. A shirt I’ve kept for 15 years and have worn maybe twice. The ridiculousness of it dawned on me and I put it and some other clothes in a donation bag.
I’m horrible for feeling guilty when donating or getting rid of items I’ve gotten as gifts. I have to tell myself it’s okay to part with it if I’m not using it or if it’s broken/empty/doesn’t work, etc. I can understand your hesitation to part with books, I feel the same way plus I’ll read my books over and over (I also have trouble parting with my movies). But if I haven’t used it or wanted to use something in the past year I’ll donate it.
.-= Alouise´s last blog ..List #2 – Canada Vs The US =-.
Steph
04. Apr, 2010
It’s funny how easy it is to become emotionally attached to inanimate objects.
Daniel
04. Apr, 2010
We like to try to spend ten minutes a day decluttering. It doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but it quickly adds up. Pick a time slot and stick to it every day so that de-cluttering becomes a part of your regular routine. Bottom line—find a time that works for you and stick to it!
.-= Daniel´s last blog ..What We’re Reading: April 2, 2010 =-.
Steph
05. Apr, 2010
Yeah I’m a pretty sloppy person in general so 10 minutes a day of even tidying would make my life mucheasier!
Joel
04. Apr, 2010
I’ve been big on donations to get rid of clutter the past couple of years as I broke free of my original inclination to hoard. The tax deductions made it well worth, and it was for a good cause.
Having just been through a yard sale yesterday (unabashed plug for my link below), I was pleasantly shocked at how much stuff people are willing to buy.
Like you, ebay is a bit more trouble than I want to go through, but I’ll craigslist the more valuable items that I didn’t sell yesterday.
The rest of my stuff will go in June via a month long “apartment clearance sale” – again through craigslist. Anything that’s left at the end will be fair game – you pick it up, you keep it. If my bed goes in week #1, so be it. I’ll sleep on a sleeping bag and air mattress – in my apartment, that’s still more comfort than I’ll have at some stops on the road!
.-= Joel´s last blog ..Come Sale Away =-.
Steph
05. Apr, 2010
Everyone should check out Joel’s post, it illustrates the next step after this post which I’ll be working to do this spring/summer.
Allison
05. Apr, 2010
My tip – instead of selling or offloading all your books to strangers, pick some of your favorite ones and give them to friends or family.
Steph
05. Apr, 2010
is that a hint?
Natasha
05. Apr, 2010
I’m starting to offload a lot of my items in prep for a uk working holiday and I’m quite attached to my stuff especially some of my dresses. But alas I’ve started selling on eBay for the very first time. On more expensive items I hope to make a profit.
Allison I definitely will be giving my books away – they’re meaningful “gifts” to giveaway.
In terms of clothing though – I find its easier to go through your wardrobe in steps and assess items you need (ie work clothes that can be donated to charity just before your leave), clothes that you regularly wear (keep!) and items that you haven’t worn in years (ditch!).
Steph
05. Apr, 2010
I weed a lot of stuff out of my closet yearly but I’ve got all sorts of things I’ve been hanging onto for silly sentimental reasons (like prom dresses) that I’m pretty sure I could easily live without.
Stephanie
06. Apr, 2010
This post is eerily apropos, as I’ve been trying to rid my small studio apartment of all that is silly and sentimental =) I also try to do some form of spring cleaning on a quarterly basis. I found myself hesitating on whether or not to keep class notes from an exam I’ve already taken (“it COULD be useful later down the line…”), as well as clothes that have been gifted to me that I don’t even like. Did I mention I live overseas, so it’s not like my mom would even notice if I gave that ugly sweater from the last package directly to charity? =( So yeah, if you can free yourself from all these material trappings (and in the end, it’s so true, we don’t need most of it anyway!) then you’ll be so much freer when you leave for the RTW.
Steph
06. Apr, 2010
It’s hard to let go of stuff- even the stuff we don’t want or like! it seems like a routine dumping is hte way to go.
Brooke vs. the World
07. Apr, 2010
It’s hard at first, but once you get going it just feels good – liberating even!
I agree that it is hard to get rid of some things, but you just have to keep asking yourself if that item it really important to have around… or is it just a memory that you could preserve in some other way?
Grab a couple of large plastic containers and tell yourself that you can only keep whatever fits into them. That’s a really good way to pick out what is important and what’s not!
.-= Brooke vs. the World´s last blog ..100 Strong: FTU Discusses Squat Toilets =-.
Steph
07. Apr, 2010
Must learn to be ruthless!
Dave
09. Apr, 2010
Great post, Steph – the culture of stuff is something that seems to come up regularly in my conversations with people who want to travel (and those who just say they do…), and it’s often used as a convenient excuse as to why something can’t be done – “I can’t move countries / travel the world / downsize my life because of the amount of stuff I own”.
I was lucky – I went travelling for the first time when I was 22, and getting rid of everything I owned wasn’t difficult – I didn’t have much! I’ve moved around a lot since then and knowing this fact has made it much easier to avoid buying things in the first place – as Gray mentioned, that’s the best way of avoiding having to get rid of it later! I do hear you on the books thing though – they are always the hardest things for me to part with.
If you’re interested, I wrote an article on this subject a few months back – http://whatsdavedoing.com/blogs/travel/goodbye-stuff-hello-world/ – which might resonate a bit with you.
.-= Dave´s last blog ..The Friday Photo #3 – Butterfly Bay, Whitsundays =-.
Steph
11. Apr, 2010
I think that when our stuff weighs us down so much it limits our options that is a real problem. Good to break free of this early.
Kirsty - No Place To Be
28. Apr, 2010
I’ve always moved around quite a lot so don’t have loads of stuff. Every year when I move back home for the summer I always have a clear out. Although, I tend to have a lot more clothes then I probably need. I think I am planning to sell some of these if possible before I go.
.-= Kirsty – No Place To Be´s last blog ..4our Months To Go =-.
Steph
28. Apr, 2010
Definitely seems like a smart idea to be constantly weeding out stuff… it’s the pileup that’s killer.
Camden Luxford
28. Apr, 2010
Wow. If you manage to purge all the books I’ll be well impressed – its my one fatal vice as well. I’m even guilty of purchasing on the road and refusing to let them go in a book swap. Who the hell travels with 5 thick and heavy books on her back… that she’s already read?
Good luck – its tough but liberating!
.-= Camden Luxford´s last blog ..How Not To Be Robbed =-.
Steph
28. Apr, 2010
Yeah the books are already making me lose sleep at night. Maybe I can keep just one bookshelf worth?
Steph
28. Apr, 2010
This also reminds me of when I studied abroad in London and ended up having to ship home an entire heavy box of books I’d acquired at the second-hand shops there. It’s my one vice!
Gwen McCauley
28. Apr, 2010
Oh my. I’ve just come up from the basement where I’ve been spending ENORMOUS amounts of time becoming ruthless with crap and memorabilia as we downsize for the 2nd time. This has been going on for weeks and I have moments of feeling truly overwhelmed – not something that happens often at my age and stage of life.
I live with a packrat and as much as I’d love to put all the credit for this mess on his shoulders, I’ve come to realize that I do pretty well in the ‘better hang on to it, just in case’ department.
But I’m moving across the country this time and the thought of paying a mover only to junk something at the other end is a great incentive for off-loading.
My tips? Ask these questions: do I use it? do I truly need it? do I love it? Unless there is a strong ‘yes’ response to one of these questions, out it goes. Knowing that it is going to a charity or friend who can use it helps. But mostly, if I’m really honest, my cheap bastard streak is what is motivating me. I can’t bear the thought of paying a mover to shift this stuff if I’m not going to use it!
My one big exception is my art collection. Not like it is filled with art treasurers or unknown works by major artists. But it reflects my tastes, interests and budget over a 35+ year period. I’ve always collected art on the basis of love and each piece I own speaks deeply to me. I’ve made the decision that it is all coming with me. And as much as I recognize that that means it ‘owns’ me, I am happy with that. When I look at it all (even the stuff that gets stored in a closet ’cause I don’t have wall space), I am filled with memories, conversations, stories and an awareness of who I’ve become in the later years of my life. So it feels very worthwhile.
Now don’t get me started on books, CDs, records (yes, there are gems in what’s left of that collection) and my 25 year collection of Gourmet magazine. Those are mountains still to be climbed!
Great post. And clearly there are a lot of us for whom this is a poignant conversation.
Gwen McCauley
Not quite sinking in a sea of stuff
Steph
28. Apr, 2010
Thanks for such an insightful comment!
There is definitely an element of ruthlessness necessary to handle offloading years worth of stuff. Of course some things are meaningful and totally worth the hassle of keeping. Like so many things in life it’s about figuring out what is actually important to you.
Erin
28. Apr, 2010
Thanks for including a link to our how to sell your stuff series. Much appreciated!
I did an English degree and love books – I never thought I’d get rid of them all. However they are so bulky and heavy that it´s a burden if you want a nomadic lifestyle. I thought I´d keep a few but it was so hard to choose that I just went for it and got rid of them all! It did feel like a weight off.
I do miss having easy access to cheap English books here in South America (and to a library) but I don´t actually miss my own book collection, as I´d rather read something new anyway. If I really miss one of my books I’ll just borrow it or buy it again.
Good luck with it!
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Ways To Get Away From It All – Part 3: Campervan Fun in the Australian Outback =-.
Steph
29. Apr, 2010
I found your series really helpful and inspiring! Particularly since you guys are traveling indefinitely, that’s a lot of incentive to get ride of everything you can (where as anything I leave behind can just sit in my childhood bedroom til I get back).