Episode 606: The Container Principle

We all have stuff we want to keep, whether for daily use or for posterity. The question is, do we have room for it? How much is too much?

Don’t let your abundance take over your abode. Tune in to hear Kathi and Roger as they discuss:

• How to contain t-shirts, tech goo, and other treasures
• What qualifies as a container, anyway?

Kathi and Roger share real stories from their own lives—combining households, containing book collections, shoe shelves, pantries, and tackling the storage quirks of moving from San Jose to a remote house in Northern California. They reveal how the "container principle"—letting the physical space (drawer, shelf, box, attic, etc.) define your limits—provides freedom, clarity, and better decision making. Learn how limiting items by container leads to easier decluttering, knowing what you have, and more streamlined daily living. They also offer actionable tips, such as dating items you’re unsure about (tech cords, shoes) and using hangers as a clear closet boundary.

If putting things away feels too hard, or your containers are overflowing, it's time to “pick the best and get rid of the rest.” Roger and Kathi encourage donating usable items and thinking about how your excess may become someone else’s essentials. Discover how to apply the container principle across clothes, shoes, tech gadgets, books, seasonal storage and more—and why saying goodbye to overflow can bring you peace and room for what you truly value.