Job Discussion Forums

[SandyG20]

Okay for those of you who had to get rid of a lot of "stuff" before going overseas - how did you cope?

If I was a youngster I could just pack a couple bags and leave it all with parents.

But I am in my 50s and have 50 years worth of stuff to get rid of - well at least 90 to 95% percent has to be gotten rid of.

Part of the difficulty- is just what to do with it all?

The other is the emotional aspects of being attached to "things"

Anyone else dealt with this?

[Marcoregano]

I've met plenty of people who keep their stuff in dedicated storage facilities. Of course this costs money but at least it's safe.

[Shonai Ben]

sold it all at an auction........

[Glenski]

For some things, stop and think like this:

How much will it be out of style in 3-5 years? If you have any plans of staying that long or longer, get rid of it. Sell it. Give it to friends/family. Donate to charity.

Next stuff.
Warranties. Will they still be valid?

Next.
Technology. What are the chances things will be far improved/cheaper in that time frame?

Next.
What will simply be easy to replace upon your return?

Next. Things like books or music or movie collections.
Will you really REALLY ever read/listen to/watch that again? With music or movies, think of the technology needed to play it.

Documents. Tax records aren't needed after a certain time. Will other things really be that needed?

Extremely personal possessions with intrinsic value that cannot ever possibly be replaced. Pictures, for one. These are probably keepers that need to be stored properly, perhaps even converted to a form that you can take (or have shipped later).

What's possibly left?

I kept far too much stuff in storage for far too long. Last resort for anyone thinking about this topic: do the math on what it will be worth upon a 3-5 year return, or do the math on exactly how much you will spend on storage (and insurance) costs. If that doesn't slap you in the face... well, then you must be made of money.

Find a trusted friend/family member (or more than one). Repay them as needed for helping you keep your (few) things.

[naturegirl321]

Sell what you can, donate to charities and everything see if you can store a box or two at your relatives.

[jdl]

Read George Carlin on 'stuff'. Should make your decisions easier.

[denise]

I'm planning on returning to the US in a couple of years, so I didn't want to get rid of all my worldly possessions, but still, after several years of storing it at my ex-boyfriend's expense (what a nice guy!), he kindly asked me to sort it out. When I opened up all of those boxes, there were a few different categories of things:

1) stuff that I had forgotten I even owned--clothes that for various reasons I had chosen not to take with me, random household items, etc. Since I didn't miss any of it and had even forgotten I had it, I got rid of it. Took it down to the Salvation Army or some such place.

2) Stuff that I would have kicked myself for if I'd mistakenly gotten rid of it--high school yearbooks, old photos and family trinkets, my childhood security blanket (which sadly is now just a few tattered threads...), etc. This stuff got repacked and taken up to my parents' house. Yeah, they're thrilled that they're storing my stuff now!

3) The in-between stuff: books and music. I had a really hard time deciding what to keep. College text books: oddly, many of the ones relating to my major no longer had much special meaning for me, so a lot of those got donated. Literature & my collection of mythology books--still very dear to me--got boxed up and sent to mom & dad's. Music got, uh, what's the correct technological term?... copied onto my computer.

You (the OP) are older, though, so are you planning on returning or staying abroad? If you're planning on staying abroad, I'd really just suggest bringing sentimental items (photos, etc.) with you and getting rid of the rest of it. Even your favorite books & music can be purchased either in your new country or online, and household items are generally easily available.

d

[bdbarnett1]

We're moving to Guatemala in July. We're a couple in our late 20's with a baby, and hopefully a couple more kids in a bit.

Our strategy:

Keep baby clothes, organized by age - in case we need to get it on a trip home. When we're done having kids, these get donated someplace.

Books - If it's not sentimental or relevant to our work, it's gone. This has been THE hardest step for me, because I had loads and loads of books before we began culling them.

Certain wedding gifts, China, etc - keep

All electronics - gone!

Pretty much anything else - gone

We're fortunate enough to have purchased a small storage container that we can put on my in-laws' semi-rural property. We pack everything in plastic containers or at the very least (especially books) in strong boxes lined with trash bags. No use keeping books/clothes if some insect is going to eat them

We're not in our 50's but you'd be surprised how much you can accumulate VERY quickly. This whole process has been quite liberating. We'll be moving to Guatemala with 5 suitcases

[ls650]

When I left my home country to go into teaching, I eBayed some stuff, sold more items in free online classifieds such as Kijiji.com or Craigslist.com, had a 'sidewalk sale', put other items out on the curb with a 'free' sign - and had to haul a few items that no one wanted to the local landfill.

[SandyG20]

Thanks for all the great replies.

I originally considered storage - but too expensive - and the temperatures here would require heat controlled for what I would want to store anyway.

With the economy the way it is - people aren't buying on EBay or Craigslist.

I live in a rural area and for thrift shops - there is only Salvation Army - and they are charging to haul stuff away.

Then my furniture - heavy stuff to haul to the curb in the middle of the night for the trash collectors - not something I can physically do.

Yep all those videos I made years ago - what a waste of time and money - most don't even work anymore!

I still have vinyl LPs - which I would love to sell - but the economy is keeping people from buying.

A gazillion books - which I am trying to give to people.

Too many clothes and of course - can't bring them with shipping costs so high!

If I could bring more luggage - I could bring tons of children's books.

I am trying to get my belongings down to 5 boxes or less for storage - what a challenge!

For those of you who haven't been to the USA for a while - check out the Oprah show about foreclosures in California - it was on last week - that will show you why charity shops aren't taking donations.

I think in the end getting rid of "stuff" will be very freeing however.

[Glenski]

I think you have not done the long-term math I suggested.

How much does Salvation Army charge?
How much are the real replacement costs?

There comes a time when you pay for peace of mind.

[naturegirl321]

[Marcoregano]

My Mum has worked in a charity shop (Oxfam) in the UK for years. She says they have to throw away loads of stuff, especially clothes, because they simply can't shift it otherwise - and they will refuse dinations if they know they can't get rid of it. So I'm not really surprised at the post above.

Back to the OP, I agree with many posters who've said you should get rid of as much as possible. Where you're going you don't need it and IF you return you probably won't want to see most of it again.

[rmcdougall]

If you have one, you could give it to your ex-wife.