This is our first post on our new blog and I wanted to go over some things that Cindy and I have already noticed about ourselves (and people in general) from this move. Right now we are moving our of our two bedroom Knoxville apartment that is around 800 sq. ft. to our new apartment in Seattle that is one bedroom and only 465 sq. ft. Simply moving all of our belongings out of the apartment and into Sandra and Greg's house to organize, we have realized just how much crap we have accumulated.
Here are a few pictures of just some of our stuff:
So now Cindy and I are in the long, tedious process of narrowing down just what stuff is important enough to make it to Seattle with us. Since we are only taking the Camry to Seattle, the amount of stuff we can carry is very limited. After the necessities of clothes, bathroom stuff, and kitchen things, we really don't have that much room for other things. And looking around this basement as I type this, we have lots of other things. Therefore, we are having to either throw away, sell, or give away basically everything we own. We have already sold a lot on Ebay and Craigslist, but we have a lot more to sell.
So, that kind of leads me into the lifestyle changes that I mentioned in the post's title. There are two major changes that Cindy and I have initiated for ourselves: we no longer accept presents and our closets now have a one-in/one-out policy.
Now, before you take offense to us no longer accepting your gifts, let me clarify what I mean and explain why Cindy and I decided to implement this. First off, the why: As mentioned above, we have both realized over the course of this past week just how much stuff we have and just how little of that is actually necessary. And no, not everything that we have that we don't use were gifts, but gifts definitely add to the collection of stuff. Therefore, from now on we are only accepting gifts of money or gifts purchased directly off of our online wish lists. As soon as we get to Seattle, Cindy and I are creating 3 separate online wish lists: one for her, one for myself, and one combined list. Then, if it ever comes a time for gift giving (ie, Christmas, birthdays, etc.) everyone can simply buy us something directly from what we have picked online, or they can give us money for us to put towards one of those gifts. Doing this helps us keep from filling our tiny apartment with stuff we don't necessarily need.
The one-in/one-out policy is my personal favorite though. From now on, when either Cindy or I get a new article of clothing, we have to get rid of a similar article of clothing. This makes sure that our closets don't overflow with clothes we no longer wear and maybe it will make us think twice about buying that new shirt if I know I have to get rid of another one that I like at home.
So, those are two changes that Cindy and I will be beginning in Seattle. Its really a whole new beginning for us and we are both really excited about the future. Keep checking in for more updates!
4 comments:
best of luck, take care of each other 1st and all will be fine.
Oh man, it sounds like moving is going to be a lot of work. And I suppose it's already been a ton of work. I like your new lifestyle changes. I know I definitely have more stuff that I need or even use. Hopefully I can get rid of a lot of my junk when I move also. I love you guys!
I know you mean well but maybe you should be less concerned with whats given to you and try giving, (Christmas, birthdays, etc..) Be happy that people think of you on occasions and remember how hard your family worked to get you there.
I understand lifestyle changes are necesary for everyone from time to time BUT saying you will not accept gifts if they are not on you list is disrespectful. Everyone as gotten a gift and thought "what will I do with this?" but it is the thought and love behind the gift. I like the idea of suggestions but telling me you won't accept another gift is hurtful. However, it is your life. Just realize we all work hard and our gifts have been given with love.
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