Less Stuff, More Travel: How Decluttering Helped Fund My Adventures

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to traveling isn’t the cost of the trip—it’s everything else we’re spending money on.

Today, I achieved a huge goal: I finally cleaned out my storage unit more than four years after renting it.

Not only do I have less stuff, but I also eliminated one more monthly bill. (Yay!)

More importantly, I realized something I’d been ignoring for years:

I wasn’t paying to store my belongings. I was paying to hold onto things I didn’t need.

That storage unit was costing me $89 every month—money that could have been funding my next adventure instead.

It may not sound like much, but over four years, it added up to roughly $4,000.

Looking back, that money could have paid for some incredible trips.

When Your Stuff Starts Owning You

For a long time, I felt like I didn’t own my stuff.

My stuff owned me.

The clutter—and knowing I still had an overstuffed storage unit waiting for me—weighed on me in more ways than one.

• Mentally, because I knew I needed to deal with it.
• Emotionally, because it represented a difficult chapter of my life.
• Financially, because I was spending $89 every month on things I rarely used.

Eventually, I decided enough was enough.

Cleaning out the storage unit wasn’t a one-day project. It took multiple trips, lots of donations, several trips to the dump, and selling a few things along the way.

Each trip made the space a little emptier—and me a little lighter.

When I finally loaded the last box into my car (so full I could barely see out the windows!), I felt an enormous sense of relief.

Closing that storage unit felt like closing the door on a chapter of my life.

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Why I Ended Up With a Storage Unit

Several years earlier, I went through a difficult period in my life.

Within a relatively short time, I experienced the end of a long-term relationship, lost my job, and made the difficult decision to sell my townhouse.

Moving from a four-level townhouse into a one-bedroom apartment meant I suddenly had far less storage space than before, so I rented a storage unit while I figured out what to keep.

What I thought would be temporary stretched into more than four years.

Looking back, I wish I had dealt with it much sooner.

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The Real Lesson Wasn’t About Decluttering

Cleaning out the storage unit wasn’t really about getting rid of stuff.

It was about aligning my spending with what mattered most to me.

Today, whenever I look at recurring expenses, I ask myself a simple question:

Would I rather spend this money on this…or on my next trip?

That one question has completely changed the way I think about spending.

For me, owning less means:

• less clutter
• less stress
• fewer unnecessary expenses
• more financial flexibility
• and more money available for travel

I’m not a minimalist, and I’m certainly not suggesting everyone move into a tiny house.

But I do think it’s worth asking whether the things we own—and the bills that come with them—are helping us build the life we want.

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What I Do Differently Now

That experience completely changed my habits.

A few times a year, I sit down with my bank and credit card statements and review every recurring expense.

It’s amazing how easy it is for subscriptions, memberships, apps, and automatic renewals to quietly keep charging your account month after month.

Whenever I find something I’m no longer using—or no longer getting value from—I cancel it.

Then I redirect that money into my travel budget instead.

Even canceling a few small monthly expenses can free up hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.

Before making a purchase or signing up for another subscription, I also ask myself:

• Do I really need this?
• Will I still use it a year from now?
• Is this adding value to my life?
• Or would I rather put that money toward my next adventure?

More often than not…

The trip wins.

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Less Stuff. More Freedom.

I used to think the biggest benefit of cleaning out my storage unit would be saving $89 a month.

It turned out to be much bigger than that.

I gained peace of mind.

I simplified my life.

And I became much more intentional about where my money goes.

Now, instead of paying to store things I rarely used, I’d much rather put that money toward making memories I’ll never forget.

Because in the end…

I’d rather collect passport stamps than possessions.

 

What’s one recurring expense you’ve canceled that gave you more room in your budget? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!