NBC's Back to Basics Series

A couple weeks ago, we highlighted an evening news story on CBS about simplifying and downsizing your life. Well, it turns out that everyone is talking about this hot topic. In fact, NBC Nightly News recently aired an entire series on this topic, which they called Back to Basics. They provided insight on different ways and reasons why people are choosing to do more with less. While believers practice this culture of 'less is more' to varying degrees, the common theme in all of these stories seems to be fighting back against the culture of 'more is better.'

One of my favorite points covered in the series is that the more you have, the more you have to take care of. Think about it, if you have more clothes and shoes, you have more things to store, dry clean, and switch over when the seasons change. The more gadgets you have, the more cords, instruction manuals and passwords you have to keep track of. The more vehicles and big 'toys' you have, the more things you have to insure, maintain, and yes, use! That is, unless you don't use them, which is quite common. Just like you wear 20% of the clothes in your closet 80% of the time, the same is likely true for the rest of the stuff we own. So does it make sense to hang on to the other 80% for the rare occasion we decide to use it?

While the answer to this question is very individual and depends on a variety of factors, there are a couple of guiding questions you can use to help determine if it makes sense (for you) to keep something:

1) Have I used it in that last 12 months? This is a good guide because many of the bulky items we tend to store are seasonal or associated with special events. If a whole set of seasons passed by and you didn't use an item, that's a pretty good indication that it's passed its 'use by' date in your home.

2) Do I have the space to store it? Having a place for everything is a must for an organized home. While you can get creative about where you store things, you can't change the laws of physics and create more space. Rental storage may be an option, but it can easily turn into a black hole of underutilized items, as well as a monthly drain on your bank account. If you have more stuff than can fit in your space, something's got to give. For example, if you live in a small city apartment and go skiing once or twice a year, it might make sense for you to rent skis at your destination rather than find space to store them all year.

3) Could someone else use it more than I can? Giving items to family or friends or donating them to a wide variety of charities is a great way to give your unused things new life. They're not doing anybody any good sitting in your closets while they could be enjoyed by someone else. Simply 'Google' charities or donation sites in your area to find out what they will take. Some will even pick up items! If you have items of higher value, you can also consider consignment or selling them yourself. 

4) If I decide to keep this, will I put it to good use and am I willing to store and maintain it? This is the key question. If the answer is 'no' or even 'maybe', then there's no point in keeping it. This doesn't mean you shouldn't keep any items for sentimental value that you don't 'use' in the traditional sense - these items in particular should be cared for and stored in a way that allows you to enjoy them when you want to. 

Bottom Line: If you have had it up to here with too much stuff, take some time to downsize and find the items in your home that you truly use and treasure. Chances are, you will enjoy what you own more once there is less of it to manage. 

To view the stories that were part of the Back to Basics series, check out the NBC Nightly News Facebook page - scroll down and look for the Back to Basics logo. 

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