A job offer took me 9,000 miles away from home. I sold almost everything I owned and finally learned how to declutter.

Courtesy of Allison Kimsey

• I've always had a problem with impulse-buying and have never been able to declutter.
• Then, I received a job offer in Indonesia, 9,000 miles away from where I lived.
• I sold most of my stuff and moved there with only eight suitcases.

For years, I clutched bag after bag of clothes, home goods, makeup, or, most often, shoes, as I whispered to myself, "It's OK; it was on sale." All it took was one glimpse of a sale rack...