What I learned from de-cluttering

Last spring I donated a ton of things to a rummage sale: housewares, three-ring binders, books, knickknacks, CDs, puzzles, a yoga mat, greeting cards, cookbooks, art prints and clothing.

At one time those things had all been important to me. Truth be told, some of them still were. But I'd decided it was time to let go, especially since I'd decided to move to Alaska within the year.

"Good thing I gave away so much," I thought. "It'll make packing a lot easier."

Then I took a look at what remained. For a self-avowed frugalist, I sure own a lot of stuff.

None of it cost very much, thanks to frugal hacks like yard sales, thrift shops and The Freecycle Network. Monetary value wasn't the issue. The question was how much I really needed, i.e., what I felt was essential enough to move all those miles by truck.

Disposable possessions
I'd thought that getting rid of my books would be hardest part and, yes, that was tough. But it was going through 30-plus years' worth of personal papers that hurt worse than childbirth.

Did I really need old birthday cards, extra copies of every magazine article I'd ever written, programs from decades-old theatrical productions or my daughter's elementary-school progress reports? Probably not. Yet getting rid of them seemed like a loss of self. (Post continues below video.)
After a few false starts, I remembered something my daughter said as she and her husband prepared to from Seattle to Phoenix: "It’s humbling to realize just how many of your possessions are disposable." Abby was able to ditch things she'd owned for 20 years, and she has never looked back.

I admit that I do look back, sighing over the kitchenware and artwork that I gave to a group of college students just two weeks ago. Yet I also have to admit that the smaller my "discard/donate" pile gets, the better I feel. In part that's because I realize how expensive -- and ultimately unnecessary -- it would have been to move all my possessions.

More to the point, I've finally learned that I don't necessarily need physical proof of work I've done, report cards I've signed, authors I've read, places I've visited. Often the memories are enough. I don't have to own something in order to appreciate it.

Paradoxically, paring down has made me feel rich: Despite having given away so much, I still have everything I need and some of what I want.

Keep what matters
I'm not suggesting you become an overnight minimalist. Throw out too much too fast and you might mourn the loss later on.

Be sure of what you're doing, too. While going through a box of my daughter's schoolwork, I found family snapshots and some letters from my mother. Thank goodness I didn't just pitch the whole box into the recycle bin.

But take a hard look at some of the things that clutter closets, dressers, the garage and maybe even a storage unit. How much of your time, energy and money do you want to spend maintaining your own Museum of Me?

Sometimes our possessions own us. Ultimately, it's all just stuff.

Full disclosure: I still have the outfit my newborn wore home from the hospital, and I'll never part with those letters from my mother. So yes, do keep the things that truly matter. But you can get replacement dishes just about anywhere.

More from MSN Money:

• Do you really get what you pay for?
• 16 things you don't need
• Frugality: The right life choice
• What to wear? Everything