What do you do with your all of your stuff when you take a career break and travel?  It’s a fair question, and one a lot of career breakers leave until the last moment. But if you put a little bit of planning into what you leave behind, your trip can be far more rewarding and your budget a little bit fatter.

The last thing you want to worry about when you’re climbing a mountain in South America, cruising to Antarctica, or visiting the temples in Southeast Asia, is your stuff back home. The whole point of your career break is to cut your ties and explore something new, and that can’t happen - at least not the full immersion you’re seeking - if you don’t have things at home under control.

The easiest method is the one we chose for our career break back in 2010. We sold everything over the course of 2 years, and along the way we became accidental experts at this whole decluttering thing.

Whether you choose to get rid of it all or save some of it for when you come back, what we know for sure is you’ll need a strategy for your stuff.

Declutter Your Space

No matter how long you plan to be gone, getting rid of the things you don’t need now will save you money, time, and worry later on. You’ll have less to store, less to maintain, and less to move when you get back.

Think about what you’ll need when you return and what you own but haven’t used in a very long time. As you go about rethinking your career and life, it’s a great time to do the same with your possessions. When you cut out the excess from your life, you can more easily see the opportunities around you.

Decluttering also helps prepare your mindset for your journey. You’ll likely be traveling light, and practicing that method now with your belongings will teach you to think about what you really need and want in this world, which is part of the reason you’re doing this whole career break thing anyway.

Sell the Excess

The added bonus is that you can sell most of what you no longer want now and use it to help fund your career break. Think about how your old phones, computers, exercise equipment, kitchen supplies, and even software and games can help fund your adventures around the world. This is much better than hauling them into a storage building that you’ll pay $1200 for while you’re gone.

In the months leading up to your career break, list a few things for sale each week on Craigslist, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly it adds up in your bank account and what a difference it makes in your home.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to do this each week, and over time you’ll appreciate this small effort.

Rent Your Space

Now that your home is decluttered and you’ve sold all the excess to help fund your trip, you have a clean space to rent. Depending on your location, you may even be able to leave your furniture and belongings in place and rent it to someone on a temporary relocation or a visiting professor or student. Use your social network to find trustworthy friends of friends in need of a place to live.

There are also professional housesitters all over the world looking for great places to stay. If you don’t need the cash or have pets you want to be loved and cared for in your absence, look for someone to stay in your home for free in exchange for pet care and maintenance. There are many housesitters who take long-term assignments. Check out TrustedHousesitters.com if you want to list your home (use our discount code “married” for 25% off).

If you are renting your space, use a property management company or a trusted local friend to manage any small repairs or emergencies at your home. You don’t want to have to worry about a busted hot water heater when you’re rafting down the Amazon.

The more you let go of the responsibilities of home, the more you’ll enjoy and benefit from your career break. In the end, it’s all just stuff, and none of it is more important than the experiences you’ll forever have from this grand adventure.

Minimize your stuff and maximize your experience.

About the Authors: Warren and Betsy Talbot have been traveling the world since 2010. Their first book, Getting Rid of It: Eliminate the Clutter in Your Life, is now a full blown multimedia course for people who are making big changes in their lives...people like you. Find out how to get rid of your stuff and make some serious cash toward your career break at www.DeclutterClinic.com. Click here to view more details