Techno-Declutter?

[MovnMama]

I'm in the midst of a HUGE declutter right now. DH and I purchased a 31 foot vintage Airstream and are fixing it up and living it in for the summer. As a school teacher, this is the plan - to live seasonally and be camp hosts and/or travel during the summers. LOVE IT!

So, all our stuff had to fit in a) the camper or b) a 12x6x8 storage unit. And OMG it was so freeing! What a declutter! Probably 40% of our stuff - gone, and we don't need it! I feel so great! I can look at a pile of stuff and say, yes, this is what I need, and nothing more. So liberating.

So here's my plan that I kind of want feedback on (also my major purge that I just did - it was hard and I think I deserve a metaphorical high-five or something).

I love books. We all do. But I am DONE hauling around books I've already read, or plan to read in the next five years. I'm not really in the area of a fantastic library system, so it's not a feasible assumption to say that I can get whatever I want to read there.

Sooo... I'm buying an iPad. Sounds like the devil, right? (l love macs, though, so please don't flame too bad). But, I can read books, and not have them lying around collecting dust. Also I can stream movies from wherever, eliminating the need for a dvd collection (already don't have a tv, so decluttering that is not an issue, but we do have some movies we like to watch on occasion, maybe like 10 or so). And I can begin to store things on an external server (via the "cloud," or google, which is what I've been using) meaning I don't have a lot of jump drives, cd backups, etc, floating around. And pictures, storing them electronically, what a relief!

So, has anyone done a major techo-purge? organizing your files and also using technology to reduce the amount of "stuff" you hold on to? I just keep thinking, there's something I'm not thinking of...

[accountclosed3]

I want to *so* bad.

I moved to the ipod for my music, and i don't really worry about movies too much (I'm like you -- streaming is fine OR using the postal method), but DH loves the "stuffness" of certain things. He loves that CDs have cover art, and that DVDs come in boxed sets, and that books have pages with that dusty smell. He has no interest in purging down. 

But, we're looking at bringing our stuff to NZ -- 25 boxes. Several of those boxes are shoes. LOL I plan on getting rid of all buy the absolute favorites from that group of shoes, because I find that I really only want the 4 pair I have now ( two dressy, one weatherproof, one vibram five fingers). And, I figure we can go through my books again, because I really only want to keep my Harry Potter collection (the UK version) and perhaps my two norton anthologies, and several of my yoga/thai massage reference texts (i think I got that down to 5 books). The rest I can replace digitally. 

I also purge my computer's files regularly -- just like I do my paper files. I hate clutter on my computer. :) 

[accountclosed3]

btw: congrats on your purge and awesome lifestyle. :D

[accountclosed15]

I scanned all my pictures to my computer, all my favorite movies and music and I just go to the library for books. It is VERY freeing. I keep a back up copy of everything, just in case. Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun!!! Post some pics please. : )

[MovnMama]

Originally Posted by LVNTEXAS 

I scanned all my pictures to my computer, all my favorite movies and music and I just go to the library for books. It is VERY freeing. I keep a back up copy of everything, just in case. Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun!!! Post some pics please. : )

It is fun, but getting the trailer to the livable point was hard. We had a surprise when we took up the carpet that turned into a major repair. But its all taken care of now.

Some pics:

 

All my life fits in this camper right now. So cool! (PS it's not parked in a parking lot, this is just where we bought it. It's on a wooded property in AK.)

 

Here's the inside.

 

It's nice that the kitchen and other storage all hide away. Very uncluttered.

I'll post more later once the iPad arrives in the mail.

[sweetjasmine]

Movnmama, I can't see the pics for some reason?

I would love an ipad also but my dh got me a kindle last Christmas. I think it would hurt his feelings but maybe I can give another reason besides the books. I wouldn't buy it just to be able to read them on it, though. And it would give me an excuse to get rid of my dvds. Don't know if dh would go for that, he'd rather keep them and watch them on tv probably.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by MovnMama 

I'm in the midst of a HUGE declutter right now. DH and I purchased a 31 foot vintage Airstream and are fixing it up and living it in for the summer. As a school teacher, this is the plan - to live seasonally and be camp hosts and/or travel during the summers. LOVE IT!

So, all our stuff had to fit in a) the camper or b) a 12x6x8 storage unit. And OMG it was so freeing! What a declutter! Probably 40% of our stuff - gone, and we don't need it! I feel so great! I can look at a pile of stuff and say, yes, this is what I need, and nothing more. So liberating.

So here's my plan that I kind of want feedback on (also my major purge that I just did - it was hard and I think I deserve a metaphorical high-five or something).

I love books. We all do. But I am DONE hauling around books I've already read, or plan to read in the next five years. I'm not really in the area of a fantastic library system, so it's not a feasible assumption to say that I can get whatever I want to read there.

Sooo... I'm buying an iPad. Sounds like the devil, right? (l love macs, though, so please don't flame too bad). But, I can read books, and not have them lying around collecting dust. Also I can stream movies from wherever, eliminating the need for a dvd collection (already don't have a tv, so decluttering that is not an issue, but we do have some movies we like to watch on occasion, maybe like 10 or so). And I can begin to store things on an external server (via the "cloud," or google, which is what I've been using) meaning I don't have a lot of jump drives, cd backups, etc, floating around. And pictures, storing them electronically, what a relief!

So, has anyone done a major techo-purge? organizing your files and also using technology to reduce the amount of "stuff" you hold on to? I just keep thinking, there's something I'm not thinking of...

Oh wow... that would be bliss!!!  Congrats on following the dream   

We have moved almost all of the music we really love, to the computer.  We still have the cd's, in a wallet in the closet.  Our dvd collection resides in a dvd 'box' (looks like a little chest and the sleeves hang inside it)  and we threw out ALL of the cases!  It was great to get rid of all that excess packaging!  MOST of our books we could live with having on an ipad/kindle/ereader type thing... but dh has a special fondess for Raymond E. Fiest lol, and would never give up his hardcover collection.   I don't think getting an ipad is the debil at all hehehe... I think it is brilliant.  You can store a room full of media content on that little sucker.. win win situation really!
 

Originally Posted by sweetjasmine 

Movnmama, I can't see the pics for some reason?

I would love an ipad also but my dh got me a kindle last Christmas. I think it would hurt his feelings but maybe I can give another reason besides the books. I wouldn't buy it just to be able to read them on it, though. And it would give me an excuse to get rid of my dvds. Don't know if dh would go for that, he'd rather keep them and watch them on tv probably.

I no can see piccies either!  

[MovnMama]

Can you all see these pics?

Cool note about the books - with an e-reader or the iPad or whatever, all books that are past their copyright are free downloads - either from apps or from googlebooks. That means almost ALL classic texts. Huck Finn - free. Three Musketeers - free. Canterbury Tales - free.

You get the picture. And, considering I'm a high school English teacher - I think this is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!

Also I can get all my magazine subscriptions on the iPad, reducing more clutter in my house... um, camper.

Loving this! I feel like my life gets more uncomplicated by the day. Although, the iPad is a shiny new toy and we are all a little enamored of it right now. I figure that'll burn off soon, though.

[accountclosed3]

I can see those pics! It looks great. I'm so glad that you are so happy with it. It looks just lovely. Nice and clean and orderly and very little stuff! :D

i love this stuff about the e-readers! i talked to DH about doing that for myself, and DH got all excited because he noted that the classics are free AND that he could share books among friends, too. so, he's now using that instead of buying books. He'll still buy *some* books of course, but it was very cool.

he also learned that some CDs and DVDs come with an electronic file of the cover art and booklet, and so he looks for those specifically -- because he likes to have them. It's awesome. :) He's just about converted! :D

[sweetjasmine]

Nice and uncluttered, movnmama! Pics looks great!

I mentioned upthread that I thought my dh wouldn't go for an ipad. Funny, he brought it up the day after I posted that he would like us to get one! It's not a priority right now but it's definitely on our list.

[carmel23]

lovely!  what a beautiful camper!

[khkelsey]

Very cool! I'm trying to do the same thing... moving all my media into the digital realm. I love that I am never without something to read with kindle on my android phone. I love that it's more green. And I just feel more calm when I'm not surrounded by clutter.

FYI... a neat little book that covers the subject is "the simple guide to a minimalist life" by Leo Babauta. Love his blogs and books.