Downsizing & Organizing Tips

Downsizing can be tough. Our possessions hold memories, tell stories, and make our houses into homes. We work hard for them, but should we? Cutting ties to the material things that hold us back can be quite freeing. 

Moving into Rhiannon, our motorhome, meant we had to let go of a lot of furniture, many appliances, and (the one that hurt the most) books. Of course, we were rushed in our move from sticks and bricks to wheels and slides. That meant rash decisions and losing more than we bargained for. We also gained a lot more than we ever could have imagined. 

Sure, we had a furnished apartment in the city we dreamed of, but that came with a steep price. Work hours increased, commute time was a nightmare, and we still weren't able to save money or spend much time together. What's the point? 

We don't miss the stuff we gave away or sold. We don't miss the city or the crowds of people. Believe me, you won't either!

All of the books we sold for over $250

Downsizing:

Start with something you have a lot of. We got rid of our book collection first. I really dreaded it until I found a website that pays for textbooks and novels. Bookfinder.com compares numerous sites that will buy your books, so you get the best price. We made over $250 on our books, and still managed to keep our faves. Talk about motivation!

Have a lot of clothing? Try thredUP.com or poshmark.com to make a little cash and room in that closet. Or, if you're like us, your clothing collection isn't going to make you much cash and you can donate it. 

We donated almost all of our furniture to a friend that was moving. It was easier than trying to sell it, and we didn't have the time to deal with selling our stuff anyway. If you have the time and nice furniture, you can definitely make some cash selling it. 

The storage bays under our RV

It took us years to get the stuff we had and only about a month to get rid of it. I had more than a few panicked moments of "oh no, what if we hate it and have to start over again?!". It's a scary notion that we've dealt with before. I even looked into getting a storage unit, but I'm so glad we didn't. Once it's gone, it's gone. That couch and table are nothing compared to the hours we get to spent together. I remember first moving into the RV and saying, "I feel like a human again". We have free time to hike, read, cook, do crafts, and whatever else we want. Sure, there are still stressful moments, like when our pipes froze or when the level legs got stuck for hours, but those are temporary and usually easily fixed. 

Organizing:

Our DVD collection - couldn't get rid of these!

Now for the good news, you don't have to get rid of everything! Here are some ways we managed to hold on to the things we use.

DVD cases can take up a lot of room, but you'll watch them again and again, right? We purchased some CD inserts and keep all of our DVDs in one binder. They're easier to find and you don't have to compromise your beloved movie collection.

For keepsakes, get some big plastic storage containers and limit yourself to just  a few. We have two bins for memory stuff, holiday items, crafts, and costumes. Then we have one for our camping gear. Our seasonal clothing is stored under our bed, and we actually only use about half of that space. 

Some of our artwork

Keep your artwork and photos. We only got rid of a few big pieces of art that were in a closet the past few years anyway. Now, we have our pictures hanging in the RV plus few extra paintings that we can rotate out. 

You'll have to decide what kitchen appliances you want to keep. We chose the items we kept based completly on our priorities in the kitchen. For example our electric kettle, coffee grinder, and teapot... necessities. We also have a toaster, crock pot, and hand mixer. All of which I use almost daily. It really depends on your kitchen space and how much you cook. 

Our toiletries

Tools are something you will need in an RV. Therefore, we were didn't feel comfortable downsizing this area of our life. Though most RVs have ample storage bays for these types of items. It was important for us to have these items organized prior to moving into our little home. Now whenever something breaks, we can at least be at ease we know where to find the correct tool for the job. 

Organizing our toiletries was another huge stride for us. We had so many old containers of hair spray, hair dye, used hair dye, half used hair dye, dried up nail polish, travel size shampoo and conditioner, broken sunscreen bottles, you get the picture. We found organizing these items (along with throwing away the junk) into small bins works well. This method makes it easy to locate things we need based on what bin we grab. Need a hair dye... great grab the "hair stuff" bin. On another note... how did that stuff get moved from apartment to apartment all these years?!? Used once, five years ago, highlighter yellow manic panic... really?

Do you have any organization tips for us? We'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Leave us a comment below!