How To Downsize After Retirement

Retirement needs a lot of planning, and we are not just talking financially. If you do not plan this next phase of life carefully, chances are you will end up with an erratic routine, and you might spend more time at home doing nothing and watching mindless television. However, retirement is a lot of work, too financially and otherwise. One of the best ways to start for your retired life is by downsizing. All six decades of accumulating things must have cluttered your personal space as well as your mental space. It is time to clear them out both literally and metaphorically.

Make A List Of Things You Own

The first thing to do is make an inventory of the things you own. It is a difficult and time-consuming task, so don’t rush this one. Make different categories and try to find things under them. Categories can be gadgets, furniture, books, and more. Don’t forget things lying unused in your garage or even in your basement. This will give you a clear idea of what you have got over the years. Sometimes, there might even be duplicates. Often, we don’t find out the old stuff and buy things again and that’s who we end up with 5 sets of Christmas lights and 6 sets of dinner dishes.

Figure Out The First Place To Start

Though making a list might seem like a good start, you should also have a clear idea of where you want to begin. Otherwise, you might end up having no clue how to go about this. Also, since the task is huge, it might be intimidating for you if you do not know where to start. For example, you can start with the kitchen. It will also give you some time to come to terms with things that might make you emotional and you can postpone it till you are ready to face those particular things.

Give Away, Throw Away, or Sell Away

Once you have got your list of things, it is easy to figure out which of those you still need now. However, there will be plenty of things that you might want to trash, give away, or just sell off. If you can find out these things then put them in the right categories and get to work. First, sort through the things you want to throw away. Make sure you are not throwing away anything that is recyclable. Then get the ones that you can drop at your nearest Goodwill store or Salvation Army, and finally, sit with the ones you can sell off. Take nice pictures and put them on the internet for buyers to see.

Reset Your Closet

The closet can often be a place of clutter. One way to organize your closet is by finding out which clothes you do not wear at all. However, it might be difficult to remember which clothes you have worn recently. Hence, use this hanger trick. Put your clothes in hangers and keep facing backward. Whenever you wear them turn them around. Give yourself a time period of 3 or 6 months and see which ones still face backward. Found them? Well, those are your least favorite — maybe if you can give them away, someone else can make them useful? Sounds right? This will help you reorganize your closet and also make a place for newer clothes.

Have A Party

If you are thinking it is going to be a long, tiring, and depressing time downsizing, why not make it cheerful? Invite friends over to come and help you and have a party afterward. Also, ask them if they need something that you are planning to give away or sell. It will be a great incentive for coming and helping out to clean up and downsize. Maybe you can serve some wine and cheese later?

Doesn’t sound too bad now, right? At the end of this exercise, you will actually be happy that you cleared up all the clutter. The more the clutter, the more we feel stressed in our minds. You will also have extra space for things that you might be more important for you than it was 10 years back. So get started and be positive about what you are doing. That will take away the stress!