Originally Posted by
jillaine
but we need the help BEFORE that step-- what's it going to take to shift the mentality, to become willing to let go? How have you handled THAT?
It isn't about owning, it's about losing. It's about going from the known to the unknown. You are changing your way of life and that can be unsettling. Not having something you once had is a loss, and it's hard to deal with. Sure, you can toss out a broken can opener or a couple of ratty towels and not blink, but when you're going through everything at once, it's overwhelming.
Approach it practically and rationally. Do you really need 12 serving platters? Will you really use that fabric you bought in 1972? How many plastic bowls should one have? Does everything Aunt Pearl gave you need to be in your home? Do one room at a time and leave your "comfort" rooms for last - your sewing room, your husband’s garage. Pick up each thing and if you don't love it or are indifferent, toss it, yard sale it, or donate it. Take a few days or a week between rooms, do them together if you both have an interest in that room. List what you will do with the furniture, appliances, things that are difficult to move or that you still need. If you store stuff in your basement, attic, garage, barn, or under your bed and you haven’t opened the boxes in 3 years or more, unless you know it’s those memories from your kids when they were little or your first doll, your college notebooks or electric hair curlers (I have those ), don’t open them, just toss them out. Really. Save yourself, lol. When you start feeling stressed, stop.
A few years back I had 4 tote bins of fabric, which I whittled down and gave to the woman who bought my Babylock Esante, along with 6 books and various quilting and sewing items. As she drove off I had to hold myself back from chasing after her van, but three days later I was ok. I promised myself I would keep what I loved that would fit into one bin and use only that. Well, sometimes I find something new and fun and I have to rearrange that bin (aka squish) but have so far kept that promise. It really is a waste of $ to have fabric beyond what you will sew. I will buy something that I love, but only 1/2 - 2-1/2 yards, then I have to use it within 6 months or I can't buy anything else new. It keeps my stash reasonable, fresh, and avoids duplicates. And I don't feel guilty about spending $ I really don't have.