Reprinted with permission: by Adam Shannon at Van Life Dreams. Website Original Article.
TAKE MY CRAP!
How much useless stuff do you think you really have sitting around?
If you’re like me, I’m sure you’d be shocked at the amount of stuff you do have. A few months ago I stumbled upon this whole #VanLife lifestyle, and I’ve just been running with it since!
I can sit around waiting for something to happening, or I can take action right now! For the most part of my life, I’ve left it up to fate and destiny. I don’t want to sit around and leave my life up in the air anymore, otherwise I feel as if nothing is going to happen. You can say maybe tomorrow, or next week, but now is as good a time as ever. We should prepare for van life!
For some, it can take a few months, or multiple years to get our possessions down to a manageable size which will fit inside their van comfortably.
Some people have a lot of stuff. If you’re in that situation you might want to recruit some help. It’s going to be longer, and more demanding the more amount of crap you have. Obviously!
I’m currently at the point right now where I cannot afford to take the #VanLife plunge. I have student loan debt, and I’m not where I want to be to live full time in a van.
But what am I ready for?
I am ready to purge my life of all of my unnecessary materiel possessions! So what can we do right now? Purging sessions have been beneficial and freeing before, and I think I’m ready for another round!
How about you?
PREPARATION
A good mindset is a necessary component of purging material possessions.
Think about what your useless crap really means to you. Is it sentimental? Are you saving it for that “well what if?” situation that probably wont happen any time soon?
Why do you desire to keep these items?
Do you find comfort from buying new things and loose interest for these useless things shortly thereafter?
A lot of the the “things” that were are attached to are due to the sentimental value it holds to you or somebody else.
In all reality though, we are not attached to that item itself. We are attached to the memory that that certain item is associated with.
It’s easy to fall under the illusion that if we were to throw away that item, the memory would go with it. But the memory is still there, it doesn’t go anywhere! I have a strong desire to purge my life of these things, in favor of new experiences that I can look back upon.
If we want to prepare for van life, we are going to have to figure out how we can lose our attachment to material possessions.
It’s really easy to fall into that illusion, that you need to hold onto something. I am going to refer to our material possessions multiple times throughout this article as crap, because that’s what it is!
When you open your mind to see certain things, it allows you to look at the bigger picture. Being aware of your attachments to inanimate objects will not only help you pay attention to what’s important to you in your life, but you are better able to stay in the moment, and not rid yourself of worry. Recognition is the beginning of change.
When delving into something that could be just as much nerve wrecking as it is freeing, there’s a certain level of preparation. If you’re into meditation, this would be a great time to set aside some time for a session. Brew yourself up a cup of kava tea, turn the tunes up, and have some fun with this!
The tea and meditation is optional, but depending on your perception, this can be a stressful process for some! It’s a good way to naturally calm your nerves for any situation. Music and a little dancing is definitely a necessity though!
The purge of material possessions is a process, because it is not a one time thing. If this is something that you are interested in, you will have to intermittently repeat this process throughout your life.
CLOTHING
For me, this was a huge part of my material monstrosity! I had so many dress shirts, flannels, t-shirts, or sweaters that I never wore! We only need one nice outfit for formal occasions… But how often do we really go to formal events? Thinking of aspects like that, could help us size down our possessions just that much more. Is it really worth my time to keep a suit, and take up extra space for something that happens once or twice a year, if that? It would be more practical to just rent a suit wouldn’t it?
This was really easy for me, because I don’t have a very strong attachment to clothing.
If I hadn’t worn something in the past three months or so, chances are it’s been donated.
You can sell your clothes too! and get some decent money if they are in good condition. I honestly just didn’t want to take the time to go through all of the clothes I’d had, I’m a bit lazy sometimes 😛
I’d rather have the added freedom of purging my life of useless stuff, that clusters my physical reality, and my mind.
5 WAYS TO SELL YOUR UNWANTED CLOTHING
Listed, are a few different options for selling your unwanted clothing.
- thredUP I really love the whole idea behind this website! They will send you a bag, and a shipping label for you to send your clothing. They pay up to 40% of resale value, and they are all about making the process easy and flawless for you. This is a great option if you just want to get rid of a lot of stuff at once! Unwanted items will either be donated for you, or sent back to you for a fee. When I clean out some more of my clothes, I think that this is going to be a good choice for me. They have multiple payment methods such as PayPal, thredUP credit, or you can donate your proceeds to a charity.
- Tradesy This is another great option for those of you who just want to do a bulk clean out! You can list your items super fast, as long as they are in good condition. Their payment is also through PayPal, and they only take 9% commission! Once your items sell, they send you a free prepaid shipping kit, to make sure the buyer gets the item as soon as possible.
- letgo I’ve used this app before, and it’s a really good way to go! letgo allows you to list your items, add your prices, add pictures, and sell to other users in your area. I favor hand to hand transactions over shipping items for digital payment. Who wouldn’t rather have cash in hand?
- Facebook Marketplace This is also a top pick for me. Super easy to list your items, and they often sell very quickly.
- OfferUp Very similar to letgo. They have an app which makes it easy for you to take pictures of, and list your items. Instantly connects you with other buyers and sellers in your area.
Source: https://www.babble.com/latina/clean-out-your-closet-10-web-sites-to-sell-your-used-clothes/
WHERE TO START?
Depending on the amount of stuff you have, it can be daunting to figure out where to start.
I have a small room worth of stuff, with the most of it fitting in a small walk in closet.
Start small if you start to get overwhelmed. If you have a house full of stuff, start with a room. Or start with a section, or one box… etc. Find what works best for you, and is the least intimidating.
For this part, we’re going to be working with 5 piles. This will separate our items into different categories, in order to make it easier on ourselves.
I imagined 5 would be a good figure to work with. It won’t generalize your items too much, but it gives us a manageable size to work with.
TYPES OF PILES
- Sell: If you don’t sell the stuff you had set aside within a month or two, you can add this to your donate, or trash/recycle pile. Boxes of stuff you say you are going to sell take up space too! I still have a few boxes of things I said I was going to sell months ago. I’m going to have to go through them again, and that’s okay. This will be explained in further detail later in this post, demonstrating different ways for selling your used items for the most money.
- Maybe Keep?: Likewise, a lot of these items can easily be moved over to your sell, recycle/trash, and donate piles. If you don’t want to make the decision now, put it in this pile. Try your best not to move anything from this pile to the keep pile! The goal is to get rid of stuff here.
- Recycle/Trash: This is a huge one! If you don’t have any use for something, don’t try to go right to the trash! Most likely, this stuff will be put in a landfill. We don’t want that! If you can find another use for something you don’t use, or if it can be recycled and made into something new, that’s a great way to go! On top of that, you can rest easy knowing that you cleaned up your living space, and didn’t harm the environment anymore than we typically do.
- Keep: For this pile, I try to consider the usefulness of the belonging in question. These are the things that are a necessity, or make your life a lot easier. For example, this could be your computer, a few shirts that you wear on a normal basis, or other things that are comfort items. A comfort item could include anything from a TV, to a poster, or a set of nice computer speakers. For me, my guitars are definitely a majority of my comfort items! These are some of the harder decisions to make, whether or not the item bares any usefulness in promoting your general well being, or is practical for you.
- Donate: Another one of my favorites too! If I don’t want to spend the time trying to sell something, but someone else could still use it, why would I toss it? Similarly to recycling, you can have the peace of mind that accompanies knowing you gained additional freedom, and helped someone else in the process. Donating is recycling too!
GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY
How should we decide which pile to put our crap in?
When I’m deciding which pile I want the item to go into, I think about the last time I had used the item. As its been said previously, it’s easy to rationalize keeping something because of the “well what if” scenario.
If you think about it, when you’re no longer on this earth, none of your material possessions will make any difference. They will lose their meaning, because they will no longer be there. I believe that my memories will carry on with me.
If you inherited an antique dining table from your great aunt, you surely won’t want to get rid of that. I think it’s out of the question trying to fit that into a van.
Instead, look at it this way. The more you get rid of, the more free you will feel! Having less crap is a huge step when starting to prepare for van life. As a lot of other people are in this day and age, I’m a big fan of instant gratification. I want all the freedom I can get! There could be a few things where you might have trouble coming to terms with having to part from that item.
There’s no need to overwhelm yourself, and get rid of absolutely everything at one time. Unless you want to! It’s okay to keep stuff, just keep in mind how easy it is to fall into the trap of keeping everything!
Minimizing your possessions is a process that happens multiple times. You can start really small by getting rid of one thing a week, if that’s the most manageable for you. Or you can dive right into it. I recommend that route!
Depending on how much you really want to get rid of, there might be a culmination of items that you want to keep, but you can’t keep in the van. A relative’s house will be a great option for this scenario, hopefully they will let you store some stuff there.
To prepare for van life, we want to have the lowest amount of expenses possible. Paying for a storage unit every month isn’t cheap, collectively.
Of course you can always buy a trailer and tow your crap behind you, but how practical is that?
When it’s all said in done, keep in mind you should go back through your belonging every now and then. You can also just be conscious of which items are used the most, and the ones which are least useful to you. See how far you can push yourself, and see what you can do with out. Humans can survive with a very little amount of “stuff”.
We’re just passing through in this life, and in the end, whatever that may mean to you, your stuff will not matter. Save those boxes for a rainy day, and pick through to see what else can go!
HOW TO GET THE MOST MONEY FOR YOUR USED CRAP
You’re going to want to prepare your items, before you even look into selling them. It’s important that your buyers know what they are looking at. Make sure to include quality pictures, and an accurate description. You’ll want to note any physical deformations, or anything that you think that would be important for the buyer to know. Put yourself in the buyers shoes.
Was it from a smoking home? What condition is it in? How much was it used? Etc.
When you’re prepping your items for sale, make sure your items are clean. Taking care to thoroughly clean your items will make them look better, and more apt to sell quickly. This can even help your stuff sell for more money! Who doesn’t like that?
- letgo This is an awesome app, and it’s really simple to use. You can list your items right away, choose your price, and add pictures. Once you’ve done that, it’s viewable to buyers in your area. A good way to get rid of stuff quickly.
- ebay With this platform, you can list your own items, either in buy it now, or auction format. This is a widely known place for used, and new items to be sold. Keep in mind that ebay does charge a listing fee. Likewise, Paypal has fees.
- craigslist List your items locally for free. I’ve personally had alot of luck with this website. It’s super simple to put up an ad. You need to be weary of scams on this website
- Facebook Marketplace There’s multiple communities within Facebook that are specifically for selling and buying things. There’s general groups, or even specific groups if you have something like a collectible to sell. I have also had a lot of luck with this platform.
- OfferUp This is very similar to letgo. An easy way to post your items, and connect with other buyers and sellers near you. You can sell almost anything on here!
- Shopify Although you can make some really good money with Shopify, I’d say this is more geared towards people who are crafty, or who have a steady supply of items. It’s an eCommerce solution where you can set up your own online shop, accept credit card payments, etc. If you’d like a free two week trial, you can click here. (affiliate link)
- Have a Garage Sale Take a day off of work, or set up a table outside when it’s nice out! This is more effective when you setup at a local neighborhood garage sale, as there will be more people shopping.
NOTICE: I am no way, shape, or form, paid by any of businesses listed above. Unless otherwise noted as an affiliate link, I make no money off of you clicking those links. The links are there as a resource for you to use. All information is based on my personal experience, fact, and opinion of said resource.
WHERE AND HOW TO DONATE YOUR CRAP
As mentioned before, it’s good to be mindful of where our crap is going. Of course, if you really don’t give a shit you can just throw it all away and have no mind for recycling, but we don’t want to do that! Donating your items makes a huge impact collectively. Recycling results in keeping millions of pounds of trash out of the landfill each year. With all of the stuff going on lately, I’m sure mother earth would thank us.
- Goodwill Although Goodwill does have some restrictions, they will take your used electronics, clothing, dishes, furniture, books, and even more. This is a great way to get rid of a lot of stuff at one time. You can get a tax deduction from donating your items here. They make it easy for you with big blue bins outside of their stores, where you can drop your stuff. In 2016, Goodwill donated over 80 percent of revenue from donated goods to support other organizations. They also pick up stuff from you!
- The Salvation Army These guys make it easy for you! If you have under 50 of their specified items, you can schedule a pickup and they will come take your stuff for you! Similarly to Goodwill, they have some restrictions on items. If you have more than 50 items, you can use their search and find an office closest to you. They will gratefully take your stuff here.
- Donate Stuff This organization also will come to you to pick up your stuff! You simply put it all in a box, schedule a pickup, and leave it outside! It’s just as easy as that.
- Local Churches Churches often have used clothing drop boxes in their parking lots where you can drop your bags of clothes.
- Other People I vividly remember this one time when I was at a social event. I overheard someone talking about their involvement in a program which helps people who are struggling. It just so happens, that I cleaned out my closet that day and had 2 full trash bags of clothes in my trunk! It was a good opportunity for me to be lazy, so I didn’t have to make a separate trip to drop my clothes off. You bet your ass I took that opportunity! In that process, I was able to free myself of a burden, and help someone else feel useful in their mission in helping others. I feel like things like that are meant to happen.
- Planet Aid This organization also uses the bin system. Use their search and find a bin close to you! They don’t have bins everywhere. If they don’t have one in your area, use their resources page to find other organizations in your area who can help you.
When you are purging your crap, I truly hope you consider donating a majority of your stuff. It’s a good way to get rid of a lot of stuff quickly, help our environment, and perform a good deed at the same time!
WHAT DID I DO?
While writing this post, I figured I’d increase productivity and have a go at another round of the crap purge! There’s not really that much stuff left, but there’s room for improvement.
You will save your self mounds of stress by starting to do this right now! The last thing you’re going to want to be doing while converting your van and trying to prepare for van life, is dealing with having to make forced decisions on whether or not to keep your stuff.
Taking only an hour of my time, I gathered some boxes, and put on a podcast to listen to. I highly recommend using boxes! It’s an easy way to separate your items into categories, and it’s much more organized than just having your crap thrown everywhere.
The first picture is the culmination of the crap that I can give away. There’s a lot of random items, some folders, books, markers, flip flops, etc. I have absolutely no use for these items, but someone else may have a use for them. If not, then I will recycle, or throw the items out. This also includes a garbage bag full of clothes, I easily came to terms with parting from.
An uneventful picture of the small amount of trash I came up with. I try my absolute hardest not to throw things away, in favor of donating or recycling.
I gathered up all of this stuff I found that I can sell! With the books, and the other items, I can probably get anywhere from $100-$200 for all of these items. If they don’t sell within a few months, they will be donated or recycling.
This last picture is of the stuff I decided to keep (see original article). The boxes come in handy here. If I get bored and have nothing to do (that’s rare lately), I can go through these boxes again and reevaluate each items value to me. This might seem like a lot of stuff, but compared the amount of stuff I was able to get rid of, it’s a win! As long as I get rid of something, I’m making progress.
When you get your van you’ll be busy gutting your interior if it came outfitted, and you might have a lot of stuff to get rid of depending on what’s in your van.
This is a good way to clutter your van! We’re all going to have those few comfort items, that might not be totally practical or necessary when working with such a small space. Organization and space sufficiency will be key! Less is more.
ALL IN ALL
Sometimes, people can make the mistake of taking too much stuff with them on their maiden voyage. It’ll be an eye opener to see what you really use once you are living the van life. I might be easier to consider getting rid of that hat my Aunt Martha knitted for me on my 12th birthday if I had never worn it more than twice!
There’s other ways to get rid of stuff, this is just the method that works best for me, and I could only hope it’d work for somebody else too. Or at least open their eyes to another way of looking at a situation.
Other people have had success just going through their items one category at a time. Finding stuff to throw away one week, donating another week, and so on and so forth.
Even after living in a van for a while, you still are going to have the need to get rid of stuff! Prepare for van life and start purging now. Don’t buy stuff that you really don’t need. When you’re considering buying something, write it down, and reevaluate it’s value in a week.
If you truly need it, then, and only then buy it after that initial waiting period. Getting rid of stuff before hand will make the transition into van living easier for you!
Having all of your stuff fit inside just the van is an ideal setup. Of course some people have houses, and apartments, or storage units to keep stuff. But think of that stuff as money! You will have to pay for that, and you are going to have the added stress of worrying about these things when you are not around.
For that $4000 in storage fees you can pay every year, is there anything in there with truly enough monetary or sentimental value to outweigh the hefty costs that storage units can bring?
It’s a very comforting thing to go through your belongings and getting rid of stuff. You are making your life easier, and better in the present. Additionally, you are working towards a goal you set in your life. How cool is that?
If you really can’t do without getting rid of something that has alot of value, take a picture of it and get rid of it!
Bigger items like a second car, recording equipment, dressers, can be a good way to make some quick money to fund your life style! Look at this like a game. How much closer to the road can you get yourself? How much stuff can you sell to pay off your debt?
Get out there and see what this world has to offer, and what you can offer to others. For some who have been stuck in the same city/town for a long time, it can be a very eye opening experience to see the rest of the world! Do something to change your reality now!!
If you enjoyed this article, feel free to check out some of my other posts here, here, here, and here!
Some awesome food for thought came from here!
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Jeremy T, Sebastian W, Glen C, Vickie H, Rhyanna S, Jamie M, Scott T, Ashleigh P, Lily V, Rik B, Xeph G, Amanda W, Road Wrench, Sodily B, Casey M, Kris G, and Steve A!