Belated Friday five.

Five suggestions to help you purge, in no particular order.  In fact, they're all kind of tied together in one general theme.

I should preface this post by saying that these are all my opinions, and I make no judgment of anyone who chooses to live differently than me - unless they constantly complain to me that they have too much stuff and/or no money to do what they want to do.  To those people, I say, "Read on..."

• Move every few years.  Since 1998 I have changed apartments every three years or so.  Each time I end up with carloads of items in good condition - books, clothes, kitchen dishes and accessories, even small furniture - that don't seem worth the effort to (ask friends to help me/pay for someone to) move.  These items can obviously be donated to thrift stores, but please consider your friendly neighborhood establishments instead of behemoth organizations with questionable executive salaries.
• Sub-suggestion #1: Don't buy a house. The more space you have, the more you fill it up with stuff you don't need.  And the longer you have that space, the less you bother to clean it out.  (And also when your oven breaks you have to fix it yourself, which kind of sucks.)
• Sub-suggestion #2:  And don't just throw your stuff into a storage unit, because 5 years from now you will have paid a ridiculous amount of money to save things you'll only get rid of as soon as you open the storage unit.
• Value experiences, not things.  Sure, I could have a new living room furniture set, but instead I went to New Zealand.  I could own a TV that was made in this decade, but I'd rather see a band once or twice a month and enjoy a nice meal out every so often.  I'm not one to need the latest technology or the newest fashions or a wall full of books... and as I often joke, if I ever get a proposal I want a plane ticket, not a ring.
• .JPGs are cheap.  Take pictures of things you think you can't get rid of, then get rid of them.  See how often you look at the pictures... or miss the things you got rid of.  (My guess for both would be "not very often"...)
• One (wo)man's trash really is another (wo)man's treasure.  I recently Freecycled razor blades for a razor I lost on our camping trip, the shell and press of the third French press *someone* has broken in the last 15 months, and a very old, very loud bread machine that the local thrift store probably would've trashed.  I've also gotten rid of tons of egg cartons, empty Adam's peanut butter jars and moving boxes through Freecycle, and along the way I've seen some amazing things listed (and taken) that would've otherwise ended up in the landfill.  A great site with a great mission.
• The One Year Rule.  If I don't use it, wear it, look at it, or think about it for one year, it's gone.  Period.  Most recent case in point: my basic sewing machine, purchased solely to hem pants and make curtains, sold on Craig's List for $100, and the next time I need a sewing machine I'll just borrow one. 
• Sub-suggestion: The "no new hangers" rule is also a good one - for each new piece of clothing you buy, give something away.  I've found that I am much more particular about purchasing something when I have already been very particular in filling my closet in the first place. 

Now... go forth and purge!  After all, spring is just around the corner...