As you know,we're in the process of researching fulltiming in a Class A and were recently discussing all the "stuff" we'd have to get rid of. I can part with most of my furniture and a lot of "junk"...BUT what did you all do with things that you can't part with...like boxes and boxes of pictures, picture albums, shelves of books, crafting supplies, valuable (both $$ & emotionally) pictures and framed items, and etc, etc. We have 2 grown children, but neither of them are "stable" enough in their lives to be able to use their basements, etc. We also still both have parents with homes, but they're quite elderly and eventually we'd have to clean out their homes too.
Any ideas you can give us would be GREATLY appreciated.
Roger & Janenne Powlison
Living in The Villages, FL, looking for a good pre-owned Newmar Mountainair...and dreamin!!!!!
bjoyce said
09:09 AM Nov 19, 2006
We have a climate controlled storage unit.
Sandra said
09:24 AM Nov 19, 2006
The pictures are with my step-son, some book with my sister, the bills and things that needed to be kept with my sister-in-law. We had two huge garage sales and then sold everything else at auction. The rest is with us in our fifth wheel. I did throw out lots of photos from 'previous lives'. I just found that 'things' weren't that important. My husband was more upset about selling all his books that he paid a fortune for but after over 2 years, we don't think about it.
Sandra
dreamjosie said
09:42 AM Nov 19, 2006
We have a 10' X 10' climate controlled storage room. Family photos, of course, some artwork, a few pieces of furniture we couldn't part with like a china cabinet that belonged to my grandfather, Fred's Ligne Roset Italian chair, books and other personal momentos. Yes it does cost us $120 a month. But there could come a time in the future when we get off the road (farrrrrrrrrrrrr off in the future). And at that point, I would want those things around me again.
Everything else was sold, sent to auction, or given to Fred's kids (his family heirlooms and stuff memorable to their childhood). I actually gave away a lot of our kitchen stuff and all my plants to the women I worked with. We got rid of a lot of stuff, and it was surprisingly easy once we got started. You really lose your attachment to the ordinary stuff, and you almost wonder why you had it all
Delaine and Lindy said
11:33 AM Nov 19, 2006
Our Son is storing our boxe's, but we will build a storage building just for those things. Will be climate controled etc. We all just have to realize those items are just Stuff. And we never want a house that big again. Maybe a 1000 sq foot, and that's after we get to were we can't travel. Good Luck....GBY...
Judy said
06:30 PM Nov 19, 2006
We too stored in a climate control place. Some of my albums went with us along with family pictures.
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
galeanna said
09:05 PM Nov 19, 2006
Even though we are still in our stick built home we are thinking in the picture line of putting all the pictures on CD's and leaving the pictures with the kids. Gale & Anna
Tylersamma said
09:25 PM Nov 19, 2006
All of those photos are going with us ---- At last, time to do the scrapbooking!!!!
Most of the Heirlooms are in the process of divying out to the ultimate heirs of such - it will be theirs sooner or later, so why not now?
Tmcblane said
06:12 AM Nov 20, 2006
Galeanna, that is exactly what we did. We sorted all our pictures between the ones we choose to receive them after we scanned the ones we wanted for sure and put on CD. It's fun going thru them also.
blijil said
08:05 AM Nov 20, 2006
Photos are the big issue with us. First item is to replace my 35mm camera with a good digital replacement. Second is to scan all 30 picture albums. Plan is scan one album a month. Reality is that is achievable for vacation type albums but portraits and family momentos take a long time to name properly not to mention getting them organized into the right file folders. It looks like high quality scans for about 4 albums pretty much fill a data DVD. Just remember to make backups when you scan. It would be a shame to loose all that effort. We plan to make copies of the DVD's for the children. It seems they use very limited print media these days.
Everything else goes except what the children want.
Larry and Jacki
ahoweth said
08:17 AM Nov 21, 2006
Hi!
I know you are having a tramatic time of it. This part is one of the most difficult thing you have to do when you decide to go full time. We had planned for our day for 20 years so we had it a little easier. I retired 3 months before my wife and I spent my days preparing the house for auction and getting rid of all the junk we had accumulated in the last 35 years (stuff in the attic we hadn't seen for years and didn't remember was there). Luckily, there is a process you can go through to do help you accomplish that. You start by making 3 piles of the stuff. One pile is absolutely goes, one is maybe keep and the third is must keep. 2 weeks later you do it again with the 2 piles that were left. Two weeks later you do it a 3rd time. By then you will have gotten rid of most all of it and because your mind will have gotten prepared to make those hard decisions most everything will be gone. Heirloom items were already dispersed to those who had shown an interest in them. Mostly to our 2 children who would eventually get them any way. Pictures were scanned and filled into the computer, art work was given to museums or our children, (tax deductible if given to a charitable foundation). Three months after we hit the road we came back to the house and had it and everything that was left sold at auction. We were allowed to place a minimum acceptable bit on the realestate so it wouldn't go for a song. Within 2 hours from the start of the auction every thing was sold . The next day every thing was gone and the house was cleaned out. 2 weeks later the sale closed and we had a check in our hands. We were free and we haven't looked back.
Keep the faith, stay strong and you can do it. The rewards are defintely worth it! Oh, yes! Read Howard's journal every day and you will be able to stay focused on your objective.
Joan On The Road said
11:24 AM Nov 22, 2006
It's interesting how similar our problems and solutions are! We had about 4 months to figure out what to do with all the stuff. Maybe we could have profited more but given the time and energy level we gave a lot away and took the tax donation option.
We did take time to "rip" all our CD's to the computer and to replace dozens of favorite VHS movies with DVDs. We wound up with everything in a 32' motorhome and a 10x7 climate controlled storage.
Over the 3 years of fulltiming we've made a dent in the storage. Last year we took all our 4x6 photo prints and gave them to kids/grandkids. We kept all the negatives to scan to computer. We've pared down the books but still can't get rid of lots of them. We carry a large container of books with us and when we're in CA we swap out for a new batch. We've shredded more personal documents and gave away all Christmas decorations and ornaments to kids/grandkids.
I don't know when, if ever, we'll get rid of the storage unit. As time goes by we realize that we don't miss some of the stuff so it goes. But because we have a small motorhome we just don't have room for some of the stuff we need to keep. Does that mean we need a bigger MH? Hmmmmm ....we'll have to do a cost/benefit analysis on that one :)
2 4 d hwy said
01:51 PM Nov 22, 2006
Janenne,
We are in the process of choosing our 5er to go full time in a few years. I have already started to scan all my pictures onto disc. Like you, our kids aren't as stable as we would like but I plan to give them the original pix and we will have a copy on the disc.
We have accumulated so many things over the past 40 years too. Getting rid of "stuff" can be hard but I know we are looking at a better life and these things are just that, things.
I'm giving a lot away my scrapbooking things away. I plan to take the things I use all the time. There is always a Wal Mart or craft store somewhere if I need special items for a page but the word simplify has become my mantra. I have begun to ask myself do I really need that. Probably not.
Good luck.
Postalpair said
12:01 AM Dec 31, 2006
Janenne,
Greetings from Clearwater FL. My husband and I have been fulltiming for a little over a year now and have never looked back. We sold our home in 5 days and closed 3 weeks later. We had HUGE yardsales and were very successful. We packed our 5th wheel and took off. The "Things" that you think you can't live without you will find out that you can live without. We gave away all of our Christmas decorations....except for a few small ornaments that belonged to my grandmother. I packed them away, hoping that someday I would have another tree. My husband surprised me with a FLAT tree that hangs on the wall of our garage in our 40ft toyhauler. Imagine my surprise!!! See, things will work out for you too. Keep the faith....and if you are ever in Clearwater, give me a holler......would love to chat with you and show you our new lifestyle. When are you heading to the RV show in January?
As you know,we're in the process of researching fulltiming in a Class A and were recently discussing all the "stuff" we'd have to get rid of. I can part with most of my furniture and a lot of "junk"...BUT what did you all do with things that you can't part with...like boxes and boxes of pictures, picture albums, shelves of books, crafting supplies, valuable (both $$ & emotionally) pictures and framed items, and etc, etc. We have 2 grown children, but neither of them are "stable" enough in their lives to be able to use their basements, etc. We also still both have parents with homes, but they're quite elderly and eventually we'd have to clean out their homes too.
Any ideas you can give us would be GREATLY appreciated.
Roger & Janenne Powlison
Living in The Villages, FL, looking for a good pre-owned Newmar Mountainair...and dreamin!!!!!
Sandra
Everything else was sold, sent to auction, or given to Fred's kids (his family heirlooms and stuff memorable to their childhood). I actually gave away a lot of our kitchen stuff and all my plants to the women I worked with. We got rid of a lot of stuff, and it was surprisingly easy once we got started. You really lose your attachment to the ordinary stuff, and you almost wonder why you had it all
We too stored in a climate control place. Some of my albums went with us along with family pictures.
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
All of those photos are going with us ---- At last, time to do the scrapbooking!!!!
Most of the Heirlooms are in the process of divying out to the ultimate heirs of such - it will be theirs sooner or later, so why not now?
Photos are the big issue with us. First item is to replace my 35mm camera with a good digital replacement. Second is to scan all 30 picture albums. Plan is scan one album a month. Reality is that is achievable for vacation type albums but portraits and family momentos take a long time to name properly not to mention getting them organized into the right file folders. It looks like high quality scans for about 4 albums pretty much fill a data DVD. Just remember to make backups when you scan. It would be a shame to loose all that effort. We plan to make copies of the DVD's for the children. It seems they use very limited print media these days.
Everything else goes except what the children want.
Larry and Jacki
I know you are having a tramatic time of it. This part is one of the most difficult thing you have to do when you decide to go full time. We had planned for our day for 20 years so we had it a little easier. I retired 3 months before my wife and I spent my days preparing the house for auction and getting rid of all the junk we had accumulated in the last 35 years (stuff in the attic we hadn't seen for years and didn't remember was there). Luckily, there is a process you can go through to do help you accomplish that. You start by making 3 piles of the stuff. One pile is absolutely goes, one is maybe keep and the third is must keep. 2 weeks later you do it again with the 2 piles that were left. Two weeks later you do it a 3rd time. By then you will have gotten rid of most all of it and because your mind will have gotten prepared to make those hard decisions most everything will be gone. Heirloom items were already dispersed to those who had shown an interest in them. Mostly to our 2 children who would eventually get them any way. Pictures were scanned and filled into the computer, art work was given to museums or our children, (tax deductible if given to a charitable foundation). Three months after we hit the road we came back to the house and had it and everything that was left sold at auction. We were allowed to place a minimum acceptable bit on the realestate so it wouldn't go for a song. Within 2 hours from the start of the auction every thing was sold . The next day every thing was gone and the house was cleaned out. 2 weeks later the sale closed and we had a check in our hands. We were free and we haven't looked back.
Keep the faith, stay strong and you can do it. The rewards are defintely worth it! Oh, yes! Read Howard's journal every day and you will be able to stay focused on your objective.
It's interesting how similar our problems and solutions are! We had about 4 months to figure out what to do with all the stuff. Maybe we could have profited more but given the time and energy level we gave a lot away and took the tax donation option.
We did take time to "rip" all our CD's to the computer and to replace dozens of favorite VHS movies with DVDs. We wound up with everything in a 32' motorhome and a 10x7 climate controlled storage.
Over the 3 years of fulltiming we've made a dent in the storage. Last year we took all our 4x6 photo prints and gave them to kids/grandkids. We kept all the negatives to scan to computer. We've pared down the books but still can't get rid of lots of them. We carry a large container of books with us and when we're in CA we swap out for a new batch. We've shredded more personal documents and gave away all Christmas decorations and ornaments to kids/grandkids.
I don't know when, if ever, we'll get rid of the storage unit. As time goes by we realize that we don't miss some of the stuff so it goes. But because we have a small motorhome we just don't have room for some of the stuff we need to keep. Does that mean we need a bigger MH? Hmmmmm ....we'll have to do a cost/benefit analysis on that one :)
Janenne,
We are in the process of choosing our 5er to go full time in a few years. I have already started to scan all my pictures onto disc. Like you, our kids aren't as stable as we would like but I plan to give them the original pix and we will have a copy on the disc.
We have accumulated so many things over the past 40 years too. Getting rid of "stuff" can be hard but I know we are looking at a better life and these things are just that, things.
I'm giving a lot away my scrapbooking things away. I plan to take the things I use all the time. There is always a Wal Mart or craft store somewhere if I need special items for a page but the word simplify has become my mantra. I have begun to ask myself do I really need that. Probably not.
Good luck.
Janenne,
Greetings from Clearwater FL. My husband and I have been fulltiming for a little over a year now and have never looked back. We sold our home in 5 days and closed 3 weeks later. We had HUGE yardsales and were very successful. We packed our 5th wheel and took off. The "Things" that you think you can't live without you will find out that you can live without. We gave away all of our Christmas decorations....except for a few small ornaments that belonged to my grandmother. I packed them away, hoping that someday I would have another tree. My husband surprised me with a FLAT tree that hangs on the wall of our garage in our 40ft toyhauler. Imagine my surprise!!! See, things will work out for you too. Keep the faith....and if you are ever in Clearwater, give me a holler......would love to chat with you and show you our new lifestyle. When are you heading to the RV show in January?
Take care