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8 tips for decluttering

U.S. News & World Report

July 11, 2016, 1:00 PM

1. Call the kids. The first thing we did was put our four kids on notice that we were moving, and we expected them to come and sort through their things, take what they wanted and dispose of the rest. One son had already moved 800 miles away and had taken most of what he wanted. We sent him photos of the rest. He told us what to bring him when we met him for a family gathering. The rest we got rid of. We were lucky that another son had recently bought his own house. He came with a U-Haul and not only took all of his own stuff, but loaded up a couple of extra pieces of furniture into the back of the truck. Photo credit: Getty Images/Creatas (Getty Images/Creatas)
Getty Images/Creatas
It's a typical impression of Flea Market at Havelberg (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), that takes place every year around the first September Weekend. In front tables with colorful clown marionette for puppet show and dishware. in background group of visitors taking a look on products. dark clouds on shy. in background German words "jedes Teil nur"... its English every item just...
2. Donate to the church rummage sale. Our church has a big rummage sale every April. We donated two carloads of clothes and kitchen equipment. Plus, church volunteers came with a pickup and took away several bookcases, a TV case, a dining room sideboard and a few other pieces of furniture. Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto/hsvrs (Getty Images/iStockphoto/hsvrs)
Getty Images/iStockphoto/hsvrs
3. Make trips to recycling. Our town recycling center accepts old electronics (so do electronics stores such as Best Buy), both paperback and hard back books, scrap metal and paper of all kinds. I made at least a dozen trips to our recycling center. Photo credit: Getty Images/Jupiterimages (Getty Images/Jupiterimages)
Getty Images/Jupiterimages
Goodwill.jpg
4. Shuttle to Goodwill. We have a Goodwill store near us and others have the Salvation Army. Either way, they accept free donations of clothes, books, CDs and small household items. My Goodwill does not accept rugs. We had three rugs that I had to cut up into strips and throw away. Photo credit: WTOP/Andrew Mollenbeck
SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 14: A price tag is seen on a sweater at a Thrift Town thrift store October 14, 2008 in San Francisco, California. As the economy continues to falter, thrift stores are seeing a surge in business as Ameicans look for ways to save money. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
5. Find your pickers store. There’s a second-hand store in the next town over from us. There’s probably one near you, too. I called the owner and made an appointment. Then I loaded up the back of our small SUV with tools, framed prints and a few knickknacks, and the woman there picked through my pieces, took what she wanted and gave me $140. I made a second trip a few weeks later, and she gave me another $60 for the lot. Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)
Getty Images/Justin Sullivan
LONDON - APRIL 26: Bags of rubbish await collection on a domestic street in Clapham on April 26 2007 in London. Many councils in the UK are considering introducting rubbish collections once a fortnight to encourage greater household recycling. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
6. Trash, trash and more trash. Some towns offer bulk pickup a few times a year. Our town does not. We have a limit of two full garbage cans, twice a week. So we didn’t miss a trick. We filled two garbage cans to the brim, twice a week, for six months straight. Plus, we snuck in a few extra items when we thought we could get away with it. Photo credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images (Getty Images/Matt Cardy)
Getty Images/Matt Cardy
7. Call the junk man. There are people who will come and haul the last of your stuff away, for a fee. They advertise on community bulletin boards, or leave their business cards in local shops. I found a card at the second-hand store. Fortunately, using all the other methods, we never had to call the junk man. But it’s good to know he’s there, if and when you need him. Photo credit: Getty Images/Martin Poole (Getty Images/Martin Poole)
Getty Images/Martin Poole
8. Have a heart-to-heart with your partner. None of this works if you are furiously disposing of things while your partner is agonizing about whether or not to throw away a Christmas card from 1985. Most relationships, it seems, consist of one hoarder who has piles of possessions and one simplifier who owns a single coat, one book and one photo. To avoid working at cross purposes, you need to sit down and talk things out. The hoarder must realize that many things (VHS tapes, a record player, old sports equipment) are outdated or can easily be replaced. The simplifier has to appreciate that some things have sentimental value and can’t be replaced, and if you get too enthusiastic about downsizing you might end up regretting what you’ve lost. So don’t be like our dysfunctional politicians. Respect your partner’s point of view, realize there are deep emotional issues embedded in this whole process and be ready to compromise. Photo credit:  Getty Images/Digital Vision. (Getty Images/Digital Vision.)
Getty Images/Digital Vision.
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It's a typical impression of Flea Market at Havelberg (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), that takes place every year around the first September Weekend. In front tables with colorful clown marionette for puppet show and dishware. in background group of visitors taking a look on products. dark clouds on shy. in background German words "jedes Teil nur"... its English every item just...
Goodwill.jpg
SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 14: A price tag is seen on a sweater at a Thrift Town thrift store October 14, 2008 in San Francisco, California. As the economy continues to falter, thrift stores are seeing a surge in business as Ameicans look for ways to save money. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
LONDON - APRIL 26: Bags of rubbish await collection on a domestic street in Clapham on April 26 2007 in London. Many councils in the UK are considering introducting rubbish collections once a fortnight to encourage greater household recycling. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Like many retirees, our household is downsizing. We have sold our house in the suburbs and are getting ready to move into a condominium. Six months ago we had a basement full of old boxes and an attic full of memorabilia. We had overflowing kitchen cabinets, closets bulging with old clothes, bookcases bursting with books and tabletops littered with little trinkets and tchotchkes.

But right now, everything is neatly packed away, ready to move out the door. How did we do it? Honestly, a month ago it seemed like an impossible task. But it happened. So here are eight tips from personal experience on how to declutter and prepare for downsizing in retirement.

Tom Sightings is the author of “You Only Retire Once” and blogs at Sightings at 60.

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8 Tips for Decluttering originally appeared on usnews.com

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