Purge. Step One.

(yes, I should totally be asleep right now- but when inspiration strikes I must record it)

As I ponder the quickest, easiest, least painful way to purge my belongings I have come up with this solution- Start big and work down.

This means starting with one of my most beloved things ever- my shoes.

I have been pretty good about not buying shoes that don't fit me comfortably but that doesn't mean I haven't previously purchased some doozies. 

When I get back to my apartment I am trying on every single pair of shoes I own (this will also give me a chance to get pictures taken for the boxes) and they will go into three piles

1. Goodwill- I know I could sell a lot of my shoes and make a nice little penny, but time.  I'm thinking about time here.  And the longer they sit around my apartment the longer I will have to have second thoughts about them. So out the door they must go. (Plus selling is a sucky sport bc different people have different ideas of "good" condition and I'm not in the mood to hear it right now)
2. Keep- Only keeping shoes that fit my feet.  None of this scrunching into 7.5's because they were cute and on sale. And none of this keeping them because I paid a little too much for them.  Lesson learned. 
3. Parents house- I think with it being late summer a lot of my springier shoes can go to my parents house the next time I go.  I already know a few pair that are ready to come out of my wardrobe but I'm sure as I go through them pair by pair I will find several others that I just won't wear until next spring.  *This is usually the last stop before Goodwill. If I don't love them when I get them out to wear the next season, off they go.

As far as storage:
I know I need to invest in another piece of furniture but I want to keep it versatile yet inexpensive.  My whole game plan with this apartment furniture is to go as inexpensive as possible that way I can sell it to the next person for $20 and if nobody bites, I won't cry if I can't take it with me.  So I'm trying to stay under about $150 for things.  I've settled on this piece which I think I will be able to move my undergarments, socks, and other misc. into thus freeing up room in my (complex provided) dresser for larger items.  I think I will also be able to squeeze a couple of swimsuits into a lower drawer (in case somebody has a pool party duh) so I'll be able to take one set of Sterilite out of my closet.

So we will see what happens.  My next step is the clothing.  I am on a buying diet until September 1 but I think I am going to extend that to October 1 to give myself a better chance to weed my closet out and decide what I want to add.  I want to go with a lot of sleek basics: blazers (which I have a ton of), nice sweaters...a lot of mix and match pieces.  And I think if I start going on one monthly shopping excursion with a little bit of online shopping in between it will help me get a grip. Who knows?