There
are just so many balls that I’m trying to juggle right now. It’s so overwhelming at times. As I’ve mentioned briefly before, I’m trying
to simplify. For me, that means selling
my house. It is too big and the payments
are more than I’d like. I can afford
them but I am what you would call “house poor”.
I don’t have much left over to do any of the things I’d like for me and
my kids. I’ve actually wanted to sell my
house for years but have held back out of fear and uncertainty. If I sell,
should I buy something else or should I rent?
Should I try to buy something with a few acres out in the country and
get chickens like I’ve always wanted? If
I rent, I won’t be responsible for the repairs and other costs of ownership
plus where I rent may have amenities like a pool, exercise room, etc. But what if no one buys my house? The economy is bad and home values are
down. Plus, it’s a nice house and a nice
neighborhood...Ugh! These are just a
few of the wishy-washy thoughts that have plagued me for too long! At least now, I know for sure what I want to
do—sell the house and find a place to rent that is a lot cheaper and easier to
care for. I don’t want any more of my
time or energy spent on the home than necessary because I want that time and
energy focused on spiritual goals, paying down debt, and doing things with my
kids. I’d like to enroll my kids in art
classes; travel with them; get them cell phones; help my daughter get a car and
cover insurance when she starts to drive, or give her my car and get me a
new(er) one; get new tires for my current car, etc. Yikes!
There is always something!
Along with selling my house, I am also selling
furnishings, decorative items, and other things that I either don’t use, don’t
need, or don’t want to dust and care for.
I e-mailed pictures of some of my items to a local furniture consignment
shop and just got a reply back that they may already have some buyers so we
just need to seal the deal and have them pick my items up. Things are starting to happen. That’s a bright spot in the day!
I also have some items ready to go to a different consignment
shop and I’m getting some things ready for a yard sale and the rest will be
donated. Sounds like a plan, right? Yeah, it is but it’s sad that this is not my
first purge. When I moved from my
previous house, I got rid of a lot of large pieces, including a piano, and lots
of other items. Then, while in my current
house, I’ve had two yard sales; sold things at a flea market, several different
consignment shops, and book shops; and given things away. How do I still have so much to get rid
of? Believe me, I’m not a hoarder like
you see on T.V. Much of my stuff looks
brand new and has been either displayed nicely or packed away in a storage room
in my basement. There is not junk lying
around. My house is neat. Still, earlier in my life, I fell prey to
consumerism and materialism and keeping up with the Jones’. Now it’s sickening to me. Thankfully, I am finally at a place in my
life where none of it matters. If I didn’t
have kids, I could easily pack up just the necessities and travel in an R.V.,
live on a houseboat, or live abroad. For
now though, I feel I need to give them more stability than that. Instead, I’ll simplify as much as I
possibly can and enjoy the sense of lightness and freedom that comes with it!
P.S. My son has spent the last couple of hours in his
room doing his own purging and cleaning.
I’m really proud of him!
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