Downsizing Your Life

It’s not surprising that downsizing has become a big trend in the United States and other Western countries. After all, we are simply drowning in stuff! How much stuff? Well, according to the LA Times, the average U.S. household contains 300,000 items…

Are you fighting a never-ending battle with clutter? If you think you are alone, you’re not! According to the National Association of Professional Organizers: 54% of Americans are overwhelmed by clutter…

Few trends have captured the imagination of soon-to-be retirees with as much force as downsizing. In fact, if you read most retirement blogs or books, downsizing feels like it is almost a prerequisite to moving into the next phase of your life. The truth, as I have found by managing a community of 500,000 recent retirees, is more complicated.  Read More

If I read one more article about downsizing and decluttering, I think I’ll scream. At first it was refreshingly liberating, this KonMari method of asking, “Does this item bring me joy?” – yes, you’re in; no you’re out. Boom!

My mom was a hoarder. While not in the same league as the people featured on Buried Alive (thankfully), she clearly had a problem letting go. There were the clothes dating back to the mid-70s that no longer fit her…

As my regular readers know, last year I went through a major downsizing of my large home and moved into a very small apartment. It was hard. At times, very hard. I even wrote a book…

While sorting through my inbox, I came across one email with the subject line “Loving Life with Less.” Given my interest in downsizing, I was very excited to read it. Yes! I thought. That’s exactly the goal. Read More

Yesterday morning this landed in my inbox from Margaret Manning:

Downsizing (and simplification, more generally) has been a passion of mine over the last several years. And, one of the things that I have discovered through this process is that downsizing isn’t so much about letting go of “stuff” as it is letting go of emotions, memories and psychological barriers to change. So, let’s talk about how to get ready for downsizing at any age. Have you already gone through the process of downsizing your home? Or, are you thinking about doing this in the years to come?

It’s called a purse if you’re American and a handbag if you’re English, like me. But whatever name you call it, most women carry one, and it usually contains far more items than they ever need. Read More

Taxes aren’t handled the same worldwide. As tax time in the US has recently come and gone, my blood pressure will stabilize and profound sighs diminish. Now it’s a good time to concentrate on another money issue – namely, what we buy. Read More