Nobody ever goes broke that doesn’t owe money.
Warren Buffett

Downsizing can be an exponentially beneficial process. For instance owning less stuff means needing less space, incurring less debt, and maybe moving to a location that’s closer to your workplace, thereby reducing the costly, stress-inducing, life-shortening burden of commuting. Behavioural science confirms that we’re wired (for obsolete reasons) to crave bigger houses, yet following those instincts is very unlikely to make us happier.

[B]uying a more expensive house in a fancier neighbourhood would … commit me to an even heftier mortgage, which would lock me into working harder, which means I’d have less time to hang out and scratch my friends’ backs. This back-scratching, or potlucking, or poker-nighting, or block-watching is the most efficient way of all to increase long-term well-being.

That’s from this Walrus article by Vancouver author Charles Montgomery. You can find a more detailed reflection on the theme of living well in his Happy City book.

For some basic basic tips on downsizing your home, here is a 12-step guide followed by a video interview with a professional organizer. There are also guides here at Slow Ottawa on efficiently selling or donating your unwanted things. For more ideas visit our Consume Less Pinterest board from the link below.