It's become pretty common among professional organizers to suggest taking pictures of items you don't need but hate to throw out because of sentimentality. Still, it's good advice, says Pauline Rick, a public relations coordinator for Mercy Ships, a nonprofit organization that sends hospital ships to the poorest parts of Africa for medical care.
"In my work with the global charity ... I have lived on our hospital ships in small cabins with very limited storage space," Rick says. Her best downsizing tip is to occasionally take stock of your stuff and find the things you aren't using but are keeping for sentimental value. Then photograph those items before trashing, donating or re-gifting them. Generally, Rick says, it's the memory you want to hang onto, and not the item itself.