Ep. 324 | Just in Case

[@cathyswitzer2128]

"You don't need things from the past to make the future version of you." Wow! What a paradigm shift. Thank you for helping me break free from the past.

[@roxanne6007]

I wish Josh would let Ryan talk more. This ep is probably the most I've heard Ryan talk, and he has interesting things to say.

[@PinkSallyProductions]

Thanks JFM, Mr. N and team, once again. I would like to mention that my parents, especially my Dad, saved items that they thought might be valuable one, so that I and my brother would inherit them. Now both my parents have gone, my brother doesn’t want any of the stuff and it is left to me to clear a large house of 2 lifetimes of ‘saved’ items (as well as my own childhood memorabilia that were stored here by my parents). It is a huge burden for me and none of the items so far have brought me any fortune at all, just heartache from having to get rid things that my parents believed to be ‘future precious’ and a copious amount of time taken to clear the family home ready for sale, all eating into the time that I could spend doing something that I enjoy instead. I do not resent either of my parents for this, they did what lots of parents do, because they cared, I just hope that my experience can be of use by showing others that they may be creating pain for their children in the future. Also, as a completely seperate note, there seemed to be a some booming coming from JFM’s mic in this, making his voice a bit muffled, whereas Ryan’s was crystal clear. Many thanks guys, be well 🌹

[@judylloyd7901]

That's why 'Swedish death cleaning' has become popular today 😊👍

[@PinkSallyProductions]

@@judylloyd7901 Ah yes, I read about that and found it both fascinating and useful 🌹

[@ff2154]

I'm dreading this....my dad in particular just stores about everything in his house.....that will be so much work eventually .... but he won't listen to anyone right now. He is addicted unfortunately to Costco and Home Depot, and ge always gets free stuff too

[@PinkSallyProductions]

@@ff2154 I empathise with you. I had to just let my parents be themselves, they got a buzz out of collecting & my Mum loved a bargain even though, sadly, she didn’t live long enough to get the use out of many of the items that she bought. I had to have a plan to keep me in line with decluttering & several ways to make sure that I do not continue the trend. Disposing of items responsibly has been the most expensive way, in both time & money, yet my conscience won’t let me just send everything to landfill. I hope that you can enjoy the time that you have with your Dad while he is still around & have help to deal with the ‘stuff’ when you have to. Be well, Sally 🌹

[@carolvega_orion]

I had a lot of clothes stored in case I needed them at some point. Last week I put it all on the bed and realized it was just garbage. The ridiculous thing is that I was looking for a new piece of furniture to store it. Greetings from Chile.

[@Kris-pw4gp]

I am so glad that I discovered your podcasts. I appreciate how you share, challenge, suggest without bringing shame or guilt. I remember listening to someone talking about decisions or actions we take in response to trauma/traumatic situations. We can always look back and see it differently but we need to tell ourselves that we made the best decision we could at the time with what we knew, the resources we had, or what was going on around us. This is a reminder I need to tell myself when I am hard on myself. I think the "hindsight is 50/50" comment is so very true. Who can say that things would've been better if we'd made different choices...

[@Sapientiam]

The topic of collectibles with the "what if it's going to be worth something or worth more someday" hit home. As a Moomin mug collector myself I have struggled with this for some time now. I thought to myself that I would keep my mugs for years to come, saving them for when they would get more valuable. But, then I became aware of just how much it bothered me to have something that was worth so much to begin with, not to mention "what if they broke or someone stole them..". I kind of got anxious about it so I decided to sell them right away. Collect the money now rather than later and get rid of the issue at hand. Yes, they might get to a point where they are more valuable in the near future and I could get more money from selling them, but at least this way I'll be more free from my burden of owning highly valuable items and collectibles. Plus I get to spend my money on other things I need, save the money or whatever else I would need the money for. I just sold a couple of antique tin candle holders that had been broken and been packed up for several years. I was so relieved that someone had bought them, which meant that I didn't have to be worried about them any more. They are no longer my burden to carry. Be it collectibles or not, items of higher value can be a burden. Maybe it needs to be insured, repaired or maybe it can't be used at all and maybe it makes you anxious to think it might be broken/stolen or that it might loose its value someday. I find it easier now knowing I own less valuables than I did before I started my decluttering journey. That being said, I have items and furnitures that I could have gotten more money from selling years ago than I can today. It depends on interest and the market. What's hot and what's not. Everything changes and everything has its price. Keeping my items wouldn't make me happier, rather more stressed out with "what if". So I'm selling them now just so I can be more "free".

[@therealjenniferrr]

I'm glad to see Ryan is back and in good health!

[@natashyas4149]

I found the creativity chapter in Love People Use Things really powerful. Acknowledging that my stuff serves as a distraction from the hard work of creating, this disconnecting me from my own humanity has been very freeing. Also love your quote, "There are no shoulds, only coulds" - holding on to excess stuff feels like a burden, and it robs you of your freedom.

[@lizminco5689]

"Just in case" is driven by fear! I've stood over the trash can, the "re-gift" box or the "donate" box with my "just in case" item and a look of pure fear on my face, thinking "😱.. but what if ?!" How did this ridiculous fear creep up on me? Why do I care so much that I'm literally scared to make the decision?

[@ff2154]

Generational fear + Guilt

[@stephanierausch7758]

I live in a 825 sq ft home with 3 closets. After listening to this episode I realize I have quite a few just in case items in two of the closets (which of both are only half full before analyzing items) my thinking each item through, I realized I had a cupcake carrier and have no intention to buy the pans that make cupcakes. It made me laugh. Thanks for the episode!

[@ВнукиКапитанаГранта]

Thank you for sharing - great video! I used to keep so many things because I thought I needed them just in case when in fact I didn’t use them and they just sat completely useless. Now I take stuff which is in good condition to charity shops where people can get them and USE them, the rest goes to recycling and I don’t feel ‘stuffocated’ - I have space and I don’t have to go through this stuff when I am looking for things I Need.

[@johnyang1420]

Feels good….right?

[@robynmurray9458]

I actually started buying just incase clothes like just incase of an event for this etc. but then after lockdown I gained a lot of weight due to a few medical conditions they found during. a lot of clothing I ended up having to donate or give away this was a huge wake up call that forced me so start clearing out a wardrobe That was expanding over years and years cause I never gained weight before but just kept buying without clearing now I think more critically about what I have before bringing stuff in.

[@judylloyd7901]

In case*

[@kimbrian5664]

What can you say about keeping an over 20 years journals?

[@besyuziki]

One single instance of "I told you so" from someone shouldn't cancel out all the quality of life you gain by letting something go. People will always be judgmental.

[@johnyang1420]

Why hang out with people that say “I told you so”?

[@martyohlfest8699]

My "solution" for ... Was it Crystal? regarding those pairs of jeans.... Back in about '07 or '08, I lost a lot of weight and enjoyed being able to buy new, smaller clothes. And then, yes, the weight started sneaking back on, to the tune of about 60#. As those smaller clothes no longer fit, I eventually had to get rid of them. What I did was saved 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of capris, that were "my favorites". I got serious again about weight loss and am now 85# lighter than my heaviest weight. I was so excited to get out those 2 items I saved "just for when". And they are now too big 🤦. I am still hanging onto them, in case a little weight goes back on (I am NOT planning to go back up, staying focused on staying where I am.) Sorry, long comment, but the point being choose your favorite pair and ditch the rest!

[@salinasmith928]

“What are you holding on to just in case?” I’m like… “Everything”

[@smadm2437]

The poop story is great! What will it take for us to finally let go of stuff & non material stuff? When we leave this earth we take NOTHING with us, not even our bodies!

[@phyliciajoykloes]

It is interesting to me to learn how my view on items changed. I find it so much easier to stop "processing" items now when compared to a couple of yours ago. Items are just that: items. We add a value to these items (or not). 😉

[@mandycovington7606]

same here. My minimalist journey has been long because in many instances it has taken me that long to actually let go of things. I though those things meant something but now, like you say, I realise that they are just things. Today I was doing some decluttering and put items into the donate box without so much as a second thought.

[@phyliciajoykloes]

@@mandycovington7606 Living with the essentials, whichever these are at this moment in time, can be calming. Not having random other things around is nice.

[@lydiaderhake2532]

If you're saying "something sentimental that might become valuable," you are more than likely not being honest with yourself. Almost without exception, sentimental items are priceless, so you wouldn't sell it even if it was worth thousands of dollars. Being honest with yourself about why you're keeping it is the first step.

[@AkS143joyful]

Love this guys! "The most dangerous words...."

[@kolitiokada9825]

With my arts & crafts supplies my tastes, style, color choices, etc change. I like to periodically remove from my "collection" anything that doesn't jive with where I am now.

[@drawitout]

Great video. Also, I love the outro song.

[@ninas2562]

Everything will be valuable one day. But will you still be around to enjoy the profits? Many famous artists died penniless. Time is the essence here. Can you afford the wait, or would you rather have the money to use now?

[@wakeupstylellc]

Omg, this reminded me of a bag of clothes I have stored in my moms car. It has leather jackets that I want to keep and pass down to my daughter. And this makes me wonder. Am I holding on to them because I wish I could fit in them again??? 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@Kyriecat12]

This makes me think of my job...."just in case"..."the value it holds" 🤔

[@ashleyphillips5186]

I'm down to a guitar that was my grandpa's who raised me. I go back and forth with getting rid of it. And pictures from my childhood to pass to my kids. And then other just in case I guess I hoard foood, water, chicken feed and extra vegetable seeds. Lol that's my problem.

[@lisamonalisahikes]

I keep things just in case but more not out of cost of worth but the need and not being able to afford to buy it. Like extra pair of gloves. Flannels that my father was getting rid of that are new ... I use them for chores. I have no problem giving away clothes, things to others that need it. That being said I try to take things to town weekly to thrift store and I try to not purchase anything thing unless it’s a need

[@lj56]

You need to keep some just in case things You don’t want to waste your money As long as it’s not garbage

[@marciewyatt2342]

My family hangs on to things they think are valuable but they never sell anything so it ends up being worthless. If you need money but you don't want to sell an item then you get nothing from it.

[@anncollver6865]

My stuff is stuff. Other people’s stuff is crap.

[@wendy645]

I grew up in poverty despite my mom came from a family with money. She fell in love with a poor man and broke the "marry lateral or higher" class rule. The family did not care for my dad, and he didn't care for them (out of jealously and pride). He made her distance herself from the family (abusive) unless her was going through a period of entitlement when he wanted something expensive and he decided they owed him for taking on my mom. 🙄 But anyway, he sucked with managing money so we were quite poor. Mom had a trauma reaction and became a hoarder. And I grew up with a torn mindset that having things meant having the money to HAVE things, but having money made you a bad person. "Just in case" is a HUGE stumbling block for me, and has been for my whole life. It's what my mom would say when she would squirrel things away in an effort to have things amid her having had the life she had previously torn away. And now that I'm grown and have a household income far more than I ever dreamed possible (of course, inflation sucks, but y'know...), I've found that my hoarding has gotten far worse as time goes on, and it's causing very real problems in my relationship and our home together. I'm working through this in therapy, but damn, I wish I could just get through this easily and put it behind me and move on with life! 😭

[@alanbirkner1958]

My father in law tried to give me ugly broken statuettes. I regretfully declined. I took a few dishes I could use instead. Tina, Al's wife

[@Cat-ik1wo]

Just in case, right along side of fantasy self.

[@bethanybrowne3803]

The 300 beanie babies I have are going to regain their value!!!

[@TheMinimalistsPodcast]

😂

[@mosheedy9862]

Just took 3 bags of cool, just in case collectibles to a thrift store! Yay!

[@TM-nb9zf]

Josh knows his hip hop😆 4:45

[@Ellie-sx2rh]

This is harder for me because I have trouble getting around and am also broke

[@lexy800]

Which episode is the one where you talk about the 9 different personality types? I forgot what you called them so I can’t find the podcast.

[@TheMinimalistsPodcast]

320

[@HosCreates]

I struggle so much with this ! and I just got rid of my old rental agreements then I needed them yesterday.. . I have 4 dead computers and I'm afraid to get rid of it for the data. how do you recycle electronics with data theft?

[@lizminco5689]

I'm in exactly the same boat - my husband and I have tons of flash drives. The thought of going through them, checking them, then deleting everything, one by one 😫. Computers? My husband had ELEVEN!! We took them to a company who downloaded everything to a flash drive (🙄) and then wiped the laptops so we could them to a recycle center. The company had great reviews so we did have to trust them not to steal the data. We kind of moved the problem rather than got rid of it. However, the problem takes up a lot less space now.😄

[@igorchichkin509]

WoW cool 😎

[@katrinsteinarsdottir1092]

What is in your emergency case at home?

[@muhammadhafizhrashin7868]

4:41 lol 🤣

[@kennethbailey9853]

Help

[@heartsandmindsathome]

😂 Viking poop wins the internet today.

[@wakeupstylellc]

🤣🤣🤣 why you hanging around with jerks Sue????

[@kevinspliid8509]

Ryan can i have your tax return