Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Just Being Real

MOVING is not what its all cracked up to be! You'd think after 20+ moves in the last 26 years I'd know this by now. Sigh ... Guess I'm a really slow learner!

When we moved out of campus housing last May, we made the decision to purge heavily. We had never done such a heavy purge in all of our moves. We had always gathered up our possessions like the turtle and his shell and moved all of it to our next home. But this time, we thought, we don't need all this "stuff", lets not pay for moving it and just replenish what we need when we get to our new abode. So out went the old worn out mattresses, the craigslist couch find, the ancient space hog tv and more. We donated or threw out books, papers, old magazines and anything else that looked disposable. We embraced a leaner, greener look and smiled.

Fast forward to being in our new place for the last 6 weeks. Every week I feel like I'm heading to the not so local wal-mart, fred meyers or target to replace something that didn't make it in the move! Getting new beds, a flatscreen tv and a sofa were automatic purchases that we knew we'd need, but all those little items like comforters, pillows, curtains, lampshades and more did not make it on my radar until we finally were unpacking. Now granted this probably would have been alot easier if we were still in a major metro area instead of an hour away, but I'm still doubting that we will ever move like this again. Is that wrong? With all the talk about decluttering and moving light am I missing something here?

So how bout you? Have you ever done a super purge before a move and lived to love it? Or do you do like most of us and just pack up everything you own and not worry about it?

4 comments:

Mary Ann said...

I haven't done this. I think I like the thought of it but then my practical side kicks in and thinks about all the stuff we'd have to buy again.

It sure would be easier to move if we just majorly decluttered!

Joanna Barrett said...

Gail! Deryk and I have moved twice in our three years together and each time we purge, there isn't a lot to get rid of because we are young and not very established, we haven't had a lot of time to collect and gather stuff. Yet, we get rid of the junk we don't use very often, or have grown out of love with...I absolutely love new beginnings. Each move I get to start over with a clean slate and make a home. It takes time to replenish, but I like the slow and steady effort to make our home nice and OURS. It is worth it to me to purge...even on our small budget.

Trish said...

I would love to purge like that - well, maybe not quite so drastically, but we have a ton of stuff that we don't need.

If we ever move again, I definitely plan to be extremely careful about what I pack!

Hope you are happy with the end results. :)

Alicia The Snowflake said...

Right now I can't even imagine the thought of moving. I applaud your efforts to purge. But I can understand the restocking problem....especially living in a rural area. But I am sure you're doing a great job of making a beautiful new home for your family!

Take care my friend!