I promised I would hold myself accountable for getting rid of some of my junk, so I wanted to check in before I forget about doing it and/or freak out and decide I can’t part with anything.
Things I have gotten rid of so far:
- A 19-inch TV with built in VCR ($30)
- Wii Fit game with balance board ($50)
- My old iPhone 3G ($90)
- A garbage bag full of stuff from my desk drawers
Other things I’ve decided to get rid of so far:
- A 25-inch TV
- My son’s entertainment center (not being used)
- My original NES and SNES consoles with games
- My son’s Nintendo DS with 20 games that he hasn’t touched in over a year
- A huge bunch of social work textbooks (donating to my alma mater)
- Nearly every DVD in the house
- Several Wii games that my son doesn’t play
As I’ve gone through the house making this list, I’m struck by how many electronic items we’ve outgrown or stopped using. While I do play my old video game consoles sometimes, I don’t do it enough to justify keeping them. My son doesn’t even play his DS because he’s getting older and wants to use the computer all the time. These things have all been used enough to be worth what they cost, but it’s time to let them go.
It’s HARD to find things to sell or give away! It stresses me out a little. But I want to do this because (1) I want the clutter gone and (2) I want to make some money to put toward bedroom furniture.
You know, I’ve always said I’ll never turn into an über frugal, coupon clipping, crunchy granola type of person. And I still say that. Yet as I’ve stopped taking on new debt, paid off some of it, started saving, and made better decisions overall, the urge to do something else seems like a natural instinct. I doubt I’ll ever live a truly minimalist lifestyle, but I’m learning that I don’t need all the things I used to think were necessary. And I wonder just how far this transformation is going to take me.