Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
Original price was: $25.00.$22.50Current price is: $22.50.
America’s top cleaning expert and star of the hit series Filthy Fortunes and Legacy List with Matt Paxton distills his fail-proof approach to decluttering and downsizing.
Your boxes of photos, family’s china, and even the kids’ height charts aren’t just stuff; they’re attached to a lifetime of memories–and letting them go can be scary. With empathy, expertise, and humor, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, written in collaboration with AARP, helps you sift through years of clutter, let go of what no longer serves you, and identify the items worth keeping so that you can focus on living in the present.
For over 20 years, Matt Paxton has helped people from all walks of life who want to live more simply declutter and downsize. As a featured cleaner on Hoarders and host of the Emmy-nominated Legacy List with Matt Paxton on PBS, he has identified the psychological roadblocks that most organizational experts routinely miss but that prevent so many of us from lightening our material load. Using poignant stories from the thousands of individuals and families he has worked with, Paxton brings his signature insight to a necessary task.
Whether you’re tired of living with clutter, making space for a loved one, or moving to a smaller home or retirement community, this book is for you. Paxton’s unique, step-by-step process gives you the tools you need to get the job done.
Publisher : Portfolio (February 8, 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593418972
ISBN-13 : 978-0593418970
Item Weight : 8.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.4 x 0.66 x 7.2 inches
9 reviews for Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
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Original price was: $25.00.$22.50Current price is: $22.50.
Amazon Customer –
A great book for those who are looking to minimize their stuff
Matt has so many practical and helpful ideas about what to do when you feel overwhelmed with all the stuff you have accumulated in your home over the years, maybe even a lifetime. When it comes right down to it, you don’t want to keep all the stuff that bogs you down and keeps you trapped. Mr Paxton has seen it all, and can guide you, step by step, so that you can get on with the life you really want to live, with just a few keepsakes, but many happy memories.
Readerlady –
Give this to your parents!
This was a very practical book for anyone who needs to downsize, clean out, move, or someone died and you need to get rid of stuff.Both my husband and I are “keepers of stuff” and when we had to move from a 2600 sq ft home to a 1200 sq ft home we had to face reality.If you have parents or who you know have change coming due to aging, give them this book and one call “The Accidental Safari”. Have them read them both, starting with The Accidental Safari. Just a note: have patience with the person(s) downsizing and saying goodbye to the stuff. Change can be hard on older people.
Bob’s Mom –
Helpful, but . . .
I am overly sentimental. So I have a house full of “stuff” my kids will never want. And I find that “parting is such sweet sorrow.” With the help of this book I am getting there. The point is well made that sharing the stories of special things is very helpful. I guess that in some way sharing the stories gives things added appreciation and another spot in our personal histories and feelings. If it gets me through my four generation collection of memories, stories, and dust, my children will nominate it for a very special award and be eternally grateful.
chris –
helpful for downsizing or clearing out loved one’s belongings
I thought this was going to be about de-cluttering, but it mostly seemed to be about creating a “legacy list”, curating a list of items that have meaning to you and maybe others, including writing why they are important, perhaps whom you would leave them to upon dying, labeling photos… clearing out some other un-important items. I enjoyed reading the story of how Matt Paxton got started and the various scenarios he encountered. I was hoping for a little more info on the step by step methods for de-cluttering, organizing and maybe minimizing…. but it was still an enjoyable easy read and I would recommend for anyone wishing to think about how to organize things you wish to pass on to others after you die or to help a loved one get started on this task.
Voodoonyou –
Good book
I got this book, read it & gave it to a friend who needed it also. There’s a lot of good info in this book!
Ann Thorpe –
Tell the stories behind the “stuff”
Matt helps us to honor our loved ones who have passed by creating a Legacy List of the belongings we wish to hold onto when we are tasked the cleanup of the home that they have left behind. By getting rid of their items we are not getting rid of them. We need to find an audience to tell the stories behind the “stuff” to help keep their memories (or ours) alive. Matt also has some great tips when you are making a move and how to plan what you take with you before the moving truck arrives.
Miss Daisy –
Don’t need a whole book for the summary
The summary is the “stuff” is not the memory. You don’t need the stuff to remember the memory. A little too extreme in his view of getting rid of some things. Maybe take pictures of items that bring back specific memories you’re afraid of forgetting. A lot of good resources listed in the back but the whole book and his opinion is not worth $15
Annette D. McCully –
Best of the Downsizing Books
Like many other seniors, I’ve been in my house for decades and need to thin out my possessions. This book is by far the best I have found of several on downsizing. The author hosts the television show “The Legacy List” where he helps seniors sort out antiques, mundane belongings, and memorabilia, a difficult task. He has done this for decades, is interested and caring, separates the legacy items owners prize from stuff that is weighing them down. His process is specific in laying out the steps to take and the logic for same, and in setting timelines in a practical manner. I have flags and highlighting throughout the book, feel he really has a handle on sorting out all kinds of belongings and understanding the role memories and emotions play in the process.
Shrew –
Written from his experiences with people needing help.Tips I gleaned: Don’t pay for storage, if it doesn’t fit in your house throw something else out,Feeling stuck/overwhelmed? Do 10 mins every night and start with simple things eg. junk drawerNewsletters & Mags – if you haven’t read them, you’re not going to.Buy new crates and labelmakers? Don’t botherWhat if I’ll need it? if you use it within ONE month, keep itInherited stuff? You’re NOT obligated to keep stuff! It’s YOUR home and they’d be ok with thatAccept you’re not going to finish that thing or be that person. Move on.Have a Maybe pile.Selling items – a possession is only worth what someone will pay for it, not what YOU think it’s worth!A lot of the book is about your ‘Legacy List’ which is a few keepsakes that tell your story.