Downsizing

I got a notification from 'Facebook memories' this morning and apparently this day last year was my first blog post about visiting an RV dealership to get an idea about what we like and what would be realistic for us. Now we have been full-time RV'ing for nearly three months! It's so neat to look back on this process for us, how nervous we were, all the what ifs, and see that we actually did it despite those things and we absolutely love it!

If you are considering this lifestyle I think the hardest part is downsizing. It was a lot harder for me than my husband because as a woman I think we tend to be a lot more sentimental about things. We sold most of the bigger items we had and bagged up and donated the rest and we did this in about a month and a half, so maybe that added to the process seeming so stressful. Now that we have been living in our RV for a while, I realize that even as much stuff as we got rid of, we still brought just a little too much for our tiny space haha!

Here's some of what we learned:

Realize that stuff is just STUFF

2. Organize!!! Separate things into categories i.e. (keep, sell, donate, store)

3. Focus on items that you use everyday

4. Photograph it- We came across this idea from another RV'er and it's such a good idea. If there's something you love so much but HAVE to part with snap a photo of it and keep it for a scrapbook or your photo albums.

5. You don't need as many clothes as you think you do (I'm still working on this)

6. A place for everything- Once you're in your RV make sure everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, has a place. If things are left out of place in such a tiny space it quickly starts to look and feel really cluttered. (I'm working on this as well, haha)

7. In and out- Be mindful of what you bring into your space after you are settled in. If you come across something you want to purchase, by all means get it, but maybe find one item to purge as well. Trust me, there will be something. I'm making it a goal to only bring in items that we love and that will enrich our lives in some way.

8. Enjoy the freedom- There's something so freeing about knowing that you aren't 'tied down' by so many things!