"Miranda Meadowe decides a lonely widowhood in her crumbling country house is not for her. Reviving a university dream, she invites five of her oldest friends to come and join her to live, and to stave off the prospect of old age. All have their own reasons for accepting. To begin with, the omens are good. They laugh, dance, drink and behave badly, as they cling to the heritage they thought was theirs for ever: power, health, stability. They are the...

Organize, declutter, donate -- downsize and simplify your life. Downsizing For Dummies provides you with strategies to downsize your life by moving to a smaller home, decluttering, simplifying your budget, and saving more money. You'll find tips to help decrease your cost of living, lower your home maintenance costs, protect and leverage your assets, and decide whether downsizing is right for you and your family. After downsizing your life, you'll...

"Moving is no fun. Neither is getting rid of stuff. And both jobs get harder as we get older. So, when those over a certain age - say, in the last third of life - are looking to downsize and move all at the same time, many will conclude, "I'll just stay put, thank you very much." It's not just the acquired possessions holding them back, but also the intangibles. Their memories, their family history, their identities are all in jeopardy, they think....