Simplicity is a bargain

I am in the process of giving away every single thing I own. Well, that may be a tad exaggerated, (what? me?) but it's pretty darn close!

I have to move. Yes--HAVE to. I can no longer see the logic in paying nearly $4000 a month for housing. For just me...and my 'stuff'.
I've been looking at one bedroom apartments over the last week or so. One of them was $840 a month. One was $900. Much more logical. (And, truth is, I'll be happy as hell no matter where I am.)
These apartments are each about 650 square feet. (Sounds like heaven!) so, the KEY to making this logical step is getting 1500 square feet (plus a packed two car garage!) worth of belongings down to the absolute bare necessities.
What do I really want to keep?
What do I really NEED?
I have always believed that STORAGE is God's way of telling you that you have too much stuff. I truly can't rationalize paying $400/month--nearly FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR--to store my $500 worth of crap. Everything is easily replaceable. Actually, everything is truly dispensable.
And so, it's gonna go. To friends, relatives...and a whole lot to my new best buddies at Goodwill. (FOUR car loads full so far...)
I've also been selling a few things on Craig's list--which has been an unexpected JOY. Every single person who has come to my door--with cash in their hand--has been SO grateful and SO happy to be receiving what I am selling. And, because I am trying to get rid of EVERYTHING, I always throw in a few extras. The girl who bought my Brighton bag got all my Brighton jewelry as a bonus. (She cried.) The guy who bought my Partridge Family Lunch Box got TWO Partridge Family BOOKS to boot! The lady who bought my beer mugs got the vase and pie plate that were from the same set. One of my friends from work came to get a TV last night and left with the TV, a DVD player, six movies, three books and two Barbies!
I always feel like I'm saying, "But wait! As a bonus, you get the Ginsu knives-- (please take them away)!"
And have I mentioned that they give you CASH and then HAUL AWAY your stuff?
It's amazing! This Craig guy is a genius!
A friend of mine posted his new home pictures on Facebook--asking for donations. I called and offered him my rhino racks, ladder, tool bench, hose and all my gardening stuff. Basically, he will clear out the garage for me--and fully stock his own for free.
It's beyond a win-win. It's JOY-JOY.
Last week, a friend from work asked if I had anything "Jackie Robinson" that his daughter could use for her 'Black History' report at school. Let me end with this: putting together a big bag of Dodger goodies--including a hat, a teeshirt, a team ball, a Jackie Robinson book and a few Dodgers cups--and giving it to this little girl for her speech--knowing that all my 'things' were no longer going to be just sitting on a shelf in my house, but helping her give an amazing speech about Jackie Robinson--was one of the GREATEST joys of this cleansing process.

I am hoping that by the time I have to move, I am down to my bed, my kitchen table and a few good books.
What do I really need?
Peace, joy, simplicity.
I've definitely got that.
Amazingly though, there's still a lot left to go.
When are you coming over?