Welcome to
Stories,
Snippets,
& Shares.
Brought to you by Downsizing Simplified
We understand that life transitions can be overwhelming, so we've created this page with real-life stories and informative snippets to share. We'll also incorporate links to numerous external resources that will benefit all who are adopting a new approach to living a more meaningful, simpler lifestyle. We encourage you to take what you need, leave the rest.
Thanks for stopping by!
We'd love to hear from you! If you have a downsizing question or a story to share, please reach out to us through the CONTACT page on the website.
And, if you'd like to subscribe to our website for exclusive updates, please complete and submit the form below:
Did You Know?
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Roughly 51% of retirees ages 50 + move into smaller homes after retirement.
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Sixty-four percent of seniors say they plan to stay in their current homes.
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Sorting through and paring down your belongings is the most time-consuming task in downsizing.
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A thorough downsizing plan will help ease the emotions and stress and keep things on track.
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There are 8,000 baby boomers in the United States turning 65 every day.
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In 2013, adults over 65 constituted 14 percent of the population in the United States and will account for an estimated 20 percent by 2050.
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There are already 55,000 Americans over age 100, and by 2050 the number of centenarians will reach 600,000—roughly the population of the entire state of Vermont!
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The baby boom generation is more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation. By 2050, 20 percent of seniors will be Hispanic, 12 percent black, and 9 percent Asian.
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Women are a majority of seniors, accounting for 57 percent of the U.S. population today and a projected 55 percent of Americans over age 65 by 2050.
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Currently people over 65 years number 483 million in the world and by 2030 the number will reach 974 million. By the year 2025 approximately 18 percent of the world population will be seniors.
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There are 72 men for every 100 women in the age group ‘above 65 years’ and there are 45 men per 100 women in the age group ‘above 85 years.’
Sorting & Paring Down
often the most difficult of the downsizing process steps.
As you begin sorting, here's a few questions to ask yourself:
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Is it an extra or a duplicate?
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Is it something optional or needless?
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Is it irrelevant or nonessential?
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Can you live without it?
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If you needed to, could you replace it?
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Is it something you can do away with?
Sort & Purge Considerations...
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Papers and files.
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Books, magazines, & periodicals.
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Past work life files and materials.
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Gadgets and utensils of all kinds.
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Tools.
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Hobby and craft items.
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Dishes, pots, pans, & formal China and glassware.
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Clothes, shoes, & accessories.
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Decor.
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Seasonal items.
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Dresser drawer items--socks, underwear, etc.
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Linens.
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Photos--loose and in albums.
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Slides.
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Expired or unused cosmetics.
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Unused or outdated electronics.
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Yard/lawn items and equipment.
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Garage, basement, and attic accumulation.
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Pantry and closet items.
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Expired medications.
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Unused or expired bathroom items.
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Expired foodstuffs.
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Digital clutter.
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Old furniture.
Assign yourself a room, closet, cabinet or drawer and begin sorting. NO task hopping! Stick to your "assignment" and before you know it, you'll see progress. You've got this!
True or False?
The longer I wait to
sort through my stuff, the easier it will be.
T or F
My family will love the task of going through my things once I'm gone. T or F
If you spend a lot of time moving your stuff around or keeping it organized (or hidden), you may have too much stuff. T or F
Chotchkes are priceless valuables that everyone should own. T or F
Just because a friend or relative gave you something does not mean you have to keep it, especially if you don't like it. T or F
Buying stuff I don't need just to have it on hand, is a good idea. T or F
I know my children will want most of my stuff. T or F
The person with the most stuff at the end of their life WINS! T or F
There are moving truck parking lots in the Great Beyond. T or F
Announcing our FREE, 2-hour time give away! We're blocking out 10 hours of time in April and
you could use some help.
May for five new clients who need a little extra help with jumpstarting a downsizing project. These FREE hours will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and are redeemable for one of our many services.
If you'd like more information about this promotion, please drop us an email
through the Contact page of the website. Please USE "2 Hours Free Promo"
in the email subject line. In the body of the email, briefly tell us what you need help with. Program details will be emailed. Some restrictions apply.
It may be time to downsize if...
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You've come to the conclusion that the excess stuff in your life is annoying.
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Your around-the-house "to-do" list keeps growing with not many tasks being check-off.
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You secretly envy those who have free time on their hands.
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Walking into your garage and basement makes you anxious.
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You still dream of a first-floor laundry even though the dream evaporated years ago.
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You're holding yearly garage sales hoping to eliminate some of your excess.
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Your adult children have started dropping hints about the advantages of hiring professional handymen.
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You dream of a walk-in shower.
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You've closed off all the unused rooms in the house, and you actually like living in a smaller space.
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You are tired of climbing stairs.
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You can no longer park your car in the garage because of all the clutter.
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You absolutely dread fall and spring yard cleanups.
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Your kids are suggesting it may be time to consider getting rid of some of your stuff.
Stop by our blog post to read about several downsizing topics:
Episode #18 and Episode #19 posts on April 7th "Age and Downsizing" be sure to check it out.
Another Year Older!
Be sure to check out our slightly unconventional birthday celebration blog post. It has some very memorable moments (mostly humorous) that we've experienced over our many years in business. POST: We're Celebrating 19 Years in Business!
© Downsizing Simplified
Knock-knock,
we've got visitors!
Downsizing Simplified's reach is growing and February's visitor stats are exciting.
We're happy about the site visitors stopping by from sixty-one towns and cities in Kansas and Missouri. Total unique KS/MO visitors for February: 451
We also had site visitors from 22 states in February.
We'll update our visitor stats every sixty to ninety days.
COMING Spring 2026: We have the website visit stats showing interest in our site for downsizing information. Of course we don't know how many of those visitors are looking for a new place to call home, but we think there may be a few! Our new "Senior Living in Kansas City" web page will help that audience search available communities within the Greater Kansas City Metro in a simplified and organized way .
The "Senior Living in Kansas City" page will list all communities in the Metro, organized by State, then alphabetically by Region (North of the River, etc.), and City. Each community will also be identified as IL/AL/MC. We believe this page will be a valuable, easy-to-use resource for our site visitors.
Our new "Front Door" Program will give participating communities direct links from their community listing on our page to their homepage. Page visitors will be able to choose the part of the Metro they prefer to live in, the type of community they desire (IL/AL/MC), then select the community, click, and visit!
For communities wanting more information regarding our "Front Door" Program, please connect with us via the CONTACT page, by phone at (816) 358-6338 or email, info@downsizingsimplified.com
The "Front Door" Program is an affordable participation opportunity!
Now the numbers, Metrowide...as of 2/11/26, there are:
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79 Independent Living Communities
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99 Assisted Living Communities
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39 Memory Care Communities
TOTAL COMMUNITIES: 217
In addition: 69 Senior Apartment Buildings and Subsidized Housing Units/Apartments
Cleaning House: No-Drama Downsizing Podcast
Last fall, 2025, I sat down with Laura Lynch, a past client, and podcaster/producer of Dementia, Dammit!™, and owner/CEO of Lynchpin Ideas, to discuss her journey and my involvement as she navigated downsizing her parents' home, both of whom had dementia.
She discovered the seriousness of their dementia and living conditions when she was finally given access to the house. Her parents, for fear of COVID, had kept her out. All face-to-face time was handled outside, primarily in the garage.
This was a difficult journey for Laura, filled with many twists and turns. Her hope is that her experience will help others in this situation. Both of Laura's parents passed away in 2023.
Have a listen, the link is below.
We'd love to hear
from you!
Tell us if you're:
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considering downsizing (even if you're not moving)
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trying to commit to the idea of downsizing but dragging your feet
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feeling discouraged and don't know where to begin
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currently up to your elbows in the process and feeling overwhelmed
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needing help to stay on track
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finished with the process and now "Living Smaller & Loving It!"
Tell us your downsizing story. You're downsizing experience could help others. Go to the CONTACT page of the website to submit your thoughts.
And if you have an idea or a topic you'd like to see featured on this page, or as a blog post, please let us know. (Use the link in the box below.)
Be sure to check out our blog posts! They're loaded
with helpful information about downsizing.
IT'S EASY TO SUBSCRIBE!
https://www.downsizingsimplified.com/blog
"Living Smaller & Loving It!"
Downsizing Simplified, © 2026