living small: de-clutter…

you probably already know that gil and i are big fans of living small… we LOVE our house. all 1300ish square feet of it. and we’re planning on living here for as long as possible {which to us means with cake supplies, guitar gear, a bunny and hopefully babes one day.} we have friends that think we’re crazy, but we really believe we’re on to something great for our future… don’t get me wrong, living in a big house with a big yard, big garage and big fancy kitchen would be fun but living small doesn’t have to feel tiny.

but, it does require a little extra planning and organizing which is why i’m going to start blogging living small tips… hopefully to help you re-fresh, re-evaluate and re-love your space.

1st tip: DE-CLUTTER.

this one is first because it’s probably the MOST important! i like to keep EVERYTHING, but when you’re living small you just can’t do it.

• start small, tackle messes one room at a time.
• once you’ve got a pile going grab a few cardboard boxes and label them according to where things are headed next. {goodwill, habitat for humanity, to a friend in need, buffalo exchange, to sell on craigslist etc.}
• start the “sell something to buy something” rule. gil and i are quickly becoming experts at this! we’ve made it a rule that we don’t buy something new until we sell something else to make room for it. also, it makes breaking even or even making money really fun. it’s a sure fire way to not end up with things you don’t really need. if there’s something you really must have especially furniture… then find a way to rid the old version first. it will keep your wallet happy and your space clear of clutter! {i’m trying figure out what i can sell to get …we’ll see.}
• we don’t have kids yet, but i know this is one thing we’ll do for sure. every few months, have your little ones go through their own rooms and find things they’d like to give away… kids end up with way too many toys and stuffed animals from who know where! talk to them about other kids who are less fortunate than them and then head to a shelter with the goodies.
• start a “small” collection of reusable shopping bags {canvas, burlap, etc.} and keep a few in your trunk. having these on hand for shopping trips will cut down on piles of paper and plastic bags that you keep with the intention of re-using, but really NEVER do.
• pretend like you’re moving: moving isn’t easy, but when it happens you get rid of A LOT of things you don’t need. moving puts on the pressure of only taking the things you HAVE TO HAVE with you. if you wouldn’t pack it and move it to a new house… get rid of it.