Getting rid of 3/4 of our stuff RIGHT NOW...

[BlueRoseMama]

Looks like we are moving at the end of March to a house that is easily 1/4 the size of ours now. I am hoping the garage will work as a sewing area with a space heater, but I am not sure about that. I will have to see. So this will be part of my process. I am radically decluttering. Taking most of what I own and getting rid of it. Getting multi-functional things like Futons, and easy chairs instead of couches, bunk beds instead of twins, and lots of book shelves etc... practical will be the name of the game for this next month or so. Even in my head I am making this headway with the decluttering. So this will be the first post of a LONG 5 weeks of decluttering and selling and moving and donating and throwing away. Goodness... I have my work cut out for me.

There is a 6 week declutter list that was posted on the declutter board. I think I am going to start that on monday and do double time so in 3 weeks I can have a big fat garage sale and get rid of a bunch of stuff. I will even put the garage sale in the paper and such. It will be hard, but my step dad reminded me last night, I grew up in a house that was that size until I was 14... so I am sure it will be fine. It never seemed TINY to me... just tight as we got older. And of course, the price is right. We are getting this house than LESS than we are paying now. So that will be a huge help with bills and such. Gotta take it where we can right?

I am trying to look beyond the crap that Frank is doing right now. I have decided that I am not paying him next months rent. I am sure he will sweat me for it... but under WA law I have to pay at least $15 a month to debtors not to go to collections. I can pay him that for the rest of my life. I don't care. I am GOING to make this a smooth transition for MY family. He has been all out for him this whole time. And if I am his last priority, I will allow him to be mine. I am going to make this new space comfortable and practical. And I am not going to allow him to get in the way of my life. I think this will be a nice release.

Edit: That sounds way more crappy than it is. I will be allowing him to keep my deposit as well. So technically I don't owe him anything. The deposit was one months rent. So that will actually work out to even. I will still clean the house. But I will not put a lot of my effort into making it perfect. He has to clean and paint etc to sell anyway. So why should I? But I wanted to clarify that I am not screwing him out of TONS of money. Just whatever he decides I owe him for not doing a PERFECT cleaning job. And I am just NOT going to give him that much room in this move. He means nothing... my family, my sanity and my comfort are FAR more important than how I leave this house. I am sure my pride will make me clean quite a bit in the end. But I am making a plan to not go out of my way to make this easy on him.

Love Val

[Kbsmama]

I don't think it sounded crappy at all. From other posts, I don't think you owe him anything, and if you need the money to get settled elsewhere, he ought to at least give you that!!!!

And if he doesn't, then, by all means, use your legal rights to your advantage!!!