Sanctuary of Your Own by Caroline Dow

Author:Caroline Dow
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: meditation;relax;relaxation;sanctuary;haven;create your own sanctuary;creating your own sanctuary;how to create a sanctuary;carolyn dow;a sanctuary of one's own;CVR01152019
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2019-10-30T15:09:29+00:00

How to Divest Yourself of Excess

For getting rid of what I call “excessibilia,” I have three words for you: sell, donate, trash. Don’t be afraid to let go of something you may need later. This doesn’t happen often, but if it does, you can probably buy new.

Make sure everything you want to keep has a home. Find its home in the new space first before going out and buying all of those cute little storage bins. For me, storing small items in old shoeboxes works well, and I don’t have to pay for the box.

Choose a specific time every week, day, or month to work on downsizing so you’re less apt to procrastinate. I’ve read some books that recommend you let go of ten things a day for a year or that after you purge, you should end up with only one hundred possessions. I find such strategies a tad overzealous. The last thing you want to do is make yourself feel ashamed or depressed if you can’t live up to somebody else’s arbitrary benchmark. Nobody has the right formula for downsizing but you. You decide how much you’re comfortable getting rid of. Once you’ve discarded the item, take it to its destined place, be it a friend, relative, resale store, charity, or, as a last resort, the trash.

Sell

To permanently relieve yourself of clutter, you can sell, donate, or throw away. Think of it as recycling, at least for the first two categories, as the discarded items won’t end up in the landfill. If you sell an item, you’re also giving yourself a little boost by earning a reward for all your hard work. I get a thrill whenever I make a personal or online sale on Etsy or Facebook Marketplace because I’m linking things I no longer want or need with somebody who really wants and appreciates them. On my Etsy site, I’ve received scores of positive reviews from people who are delighted with their purchases. Also, when a customer finds “just the right thing” they’ve been looking for at one of my yard sales, I rejoice for them. All those vintage items, some of them quite beautiful and full of memories, will take on a second life in another person’s home.

Before you’re ready to sell, consider the following. What is the minimum price you’ll accept for a given item? Sometimes you’ll know, but if you don’t, I suggest searching for similar merchandise on eBay or other sales sites. If you have some really nice, expensive antiques or classy vintage items, you might get your best price at an auction or an estate liquidation. Beware! Thoroughly vet auction houses, attend auctions held by your prospective choices, and carefully read the fine print before you sign on. When liquidating my mother’s estate, I was rushed and had a houseful of things to discard, so I simply did not pay enough attention. I was taken to the cleaners by an auction company that was not very experienced, too expensive, and sold things for a song.

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